mutually assured suffering...

 if i had to describe our lives together, it would be in three phrases. 

encouraging foolishness... because it was with him that i discovered that there is so much joy to be had when you allow yourself to indulge in the ridiculous things in life. 

there is always a story to tell... even in the littlest things.

but, above all else, there is the unending game of mutually assured suffering... because that is how you show you care. 

i was minding my own business, when he made the mistake of asking what i was doing, so i responded with an unsolicited lecture on the botany of nasturtium seeds.

i explained that they usually grow in clusters of three seeds...

but they may not all get pollinated or mature consistently, so you end up with some interesting groupings, which is what i was documenting when he strolled in.

have i mentioned that we are both forever-children? 

he stood there, bored out of his skull, while i went on about Mendelian Genetics... then i saw the look in his eyes. i knew that there was some form of payback to come. he picked up one of the unevenly-matured seed clusters.

him: this reminds me of the movie Basket Case. we should watch Basket Case.

me: or... we should not. that works too.

him: i just listened to your thing, so now it's my turn. we're gonna watch Basket Case.

me: you're gonna make me watch some crappy b-movie... just to get even with me for boring you with tmi about nasturtiums.

him: yep.

me: you're gonna make both of us sit through some uber-cringe movie... because of a handful of seeds. 

him: yep.

so we did. then we followed it up by watching Basket Case 2... and 3... in the same evening. i may have also added a few more British shows with lots of old people to the list of things he will be watching in the Future, when i get subjected to an unsolicited review of the life of Macho Man Randy Savage (or some equally ridiculous thing). then it is my turn to select the method of mutually assured suffering.

how commerce was invented...

this was one of the finished (but never shared) posts i mentioned. i honestly do not recall even writing it, but i am happy that i did. reading it now reminds me of a bit of (wholly unsolicited) advice i received back when i was turning thirty (really wish she was around when i turned forty). it went something like this:

your thirties are when you stop worrying about people around you, and realize that it is okay to own your own crazy. the best part is when you find yourself surrounded by people who are willing to share their crazy with you. you can sit down to laugh and talk together, each person doing their own crazy thing... and that is totally okay. 

--------------------------------------------

there are a few reasons why i make note of so many ridiculous conversations i have with the animator. sometimes it is the absurdity of what passes for adult conversation around here. sometimes it is relevant to whatever nonsense i plan to talk about. but, sometimes it is for purely preemptive purposes. i am just gathering evidence for when i i have to explain to a Judge and Jury that he had it coming. [and, just like that... i will be humming 'Cell Block Tango' for the rest of the night, which always makes him understandably concerned.]  

this time around, the provocation (nice legal term there) involved a series of conversations over three consecutive days. it began when he got off the phone with one of the people working on the series he is directing...

him: that was [beekeeper guy]. he asked if you needed more honey, so i said we were good for now. then he asked if we were using it, and i told him yes. we use it in tea and sometimes in cooking, and that you used some of it in the soap you just made.

me: oh, for fu... what did i tell you about telling people about this stuff? he's gonna think i'm some kind hippie who makes her own soap.

him: he was all excited. he loves that kind of stuff. i told him you'll trade him some of your soap for more honey.

me: great! i'm trading soap for honey. that's one step closer to smelling like patchouli and living in a commune. 

the next day...

him: i was just talking to [another animator]. he asked if we were watching anything for Halloween, so i told him we were doing werewolf movies this year.

me: uhm... ok.

him: he asked if American Werewolf in London was on the list, and i told him it was, but we'll probably skip that one because i've seen it so many times, and you watched it with me a couple times already.

me: ok.

him: then he suggested Ginger Snaps, and i told him that you refuse to watch it because it's about teenagers. i told him that you don't like stuff about teenagers and all their teenage problems and teenage drama. i told him you mostly watch stuff with old people. 

me: what the...?

him: then he joked that you probably like Matlock, so i told him that you do. and Murder She Wrote, and a bunch of British shows with old people, like Last of the Summer Wine and Dad's Army and that sort of stuff. 

me: why??? why are you telling people stuff like this about me. now they think i'm a soap-making hippie who's obsessed with old people. 

him: well... it's true, right?

then i just walked away, before i was overcome by the urge to end him. i wake up a day later, and what is the first thing he says to me?

him: i just forwarded you something that [yet another animator] sent for you. 

me: uhm...?

him: it's about dyeing yarn with mushrooms.

me: seriously... you need to stop having these conversations about me with other people?  

him: are you kidding? he was excited to share this with you. he's all about mushrooms. he goes foraging for them, and he has tons of books all about mushrooms.

me: great. so now they think that i'm a soap-making hippie who dyes yarn with mushrooms while watching shows about old people. good grief!

him: look, you gotta understand that they love that sort of stuff around here. in their eyes, you're amazing.

then he paused briefly before adding...

him: in my eyes... you're insane. 

any. day. now. already got my 'statement to the Court' ready to go and everything. 

me: Your Honor... i betcha you would have done the same!

 and, yes... i traded the beekeeper some of the soap i made (with honey from his hives) for more honey. doesn't everyone have a honey guy?

i did warn him that this was a particularly exfoliating batch, as it included a generous amount of rolled oats. i believe in a good hard scrub in the shower, or why even bother, right? just talking about homemade honey-oat soap here. 

note the difference between the freshly-cut piece (left) and the dried out bit from the edge (right). the drying will continue through the curing process (about two months), resulting in a lighter color overall.

it is hard to tell from this angle, but i made wayyy too much of the stuff. 

i had to take a break and pry my fingers away from the pastry cutter long enough to relax my hand. 

finally, it was done. seriously... what was i (over)thinking when i made this much soap? i am convinced that 'trading overstocked crazy' is how commerce was invented. prove me wrong!

you are not reading this...

i sat down one day, and tallied up all the posts i either started and never finished, or finished and never posted over the past few years. thirty-six! the number was thirty-six (because i can hear you asking). it might be thirty-seven, if you are not reading this.

as the (second) most uptight person i have ever met, i can say with complete sincerity that it is difficult to 'look on the bright side' when everything feels so... well... complicated. there were a few bright spots that i would still like to share, like this one from last year.

------------

i took this photo on a whim one day, and i am extremely glad i did.

we were heading out on a lengthy road trip, when we did the one thing that is required by law before getting on a Candian highway... we stopped off to get a couple Iced Capps and a box of TimBits. that is when i made a casual comment about the grapevine that had overgrown the neighboring yard. then i started squinting. something had caught my attention. do you see him?

of course, his name is Gary. 

so, we got our snacks, got back in the car, and off we went. i might have even said goodbye to Gary... just because. so long, Buddy!

four-ish hours later, we pull over at a rest stop for the only break of the long trip. the animator took off for the restrooms, while i was still climbing out of the car, struggling to regain circulation in my legs. then i almost fainted.

the animator returned shortly, only to find me sitting on a large rock, staring at the wooden fence, and shaking my head. 

him: what's the matter with you?

me: it's happening again...!

then i pointed to the snail, and we both broke out laughing. 

people getting in and out of nearby vehicles definitely thought we were insane, but they would be laughing too if they understood.

i am a card-carrying Science geek who does not believe in spirits, magic, and all that other nonsense... but i find it most fascinating that we encounter some sort of ridiculous déjà vu moment every time we go on long trips. 

like the time we were driving to an airport in NY, and got stuck behind a pickup full of chimney-sweep brushes. not exactly something you see everyday. still, there it was, in front of us for the whole drive to the airport. then we got off a plane several states away, and took a taxi to the hotel. naturally, the taxi was stuck in traffic the whole way... behind a pickup full of chimney-sweep brushes. 

so... you know... not exactly superstitious, or anything. but, willing to consider the possibility that the Matrix gets glitchy every now and then. prove me wrong!

clockwork murder in the orange hour...

i need to sign up for some sort of non-dating service where you can meet people in your area who possess very specific knowledge and interests. in my case, i am in need of someone who either knows way too much about the habits of Montreal crows... or, who is willing to be my designated driver for a couple hours a day, while i hang out a car window, trying to track them in flight. 

but, before all of that... i made the mistake of hoping that it would be a sunny day, until the animator opened the curtains. 

me: why is it so... gray?

him: it's not that bad.

then he leaned forward to look at something down at street level, made a noise, then instantly assumed the universally-understood tone of voice that is reserved expressly for delivering bad news.

him: you know that orange work sign across the street?

me: uhm... yeh...?

him: well... the orange is gray. 

then i sighed and pulled the covers back over my head. 

why are we even talking about this, you ask? because i can talk about whatever the hell i want, for a start. but, mostly, because i found myself sat cross-legged, staring at the sky today, wondering if "it" was going to happen. 

twice a day, weather permitting, the sun reaches the perfect elevation in the sky to send all of its lovely rays streaming (horizontally) through our place. we call it "the orange hour". the sunrise orange hour is usually the more subtle of the two, as there are only a couple windows on that side of the building. 

the sunset orange hour, however, is a thing of indescribable beauty. the SW wall is more glass than bricks, and the whole place just glows. the color is amplified by the terracotta colored walls in the living and dining rooms. it is like sitting cross-legged on a sofa... inside of an active volcano. 

the "hour" lasts only a few minutes in the Winter, but we get Snyder Cut orange hours come Summer. and this happens twice every single day. 

there is also the other thing that happens twice every single day. right after the sun rises and again before it sets, the skies over Montreal become some sort of HOV lane for a large murder of crows. twice every single day, like clockwork, they head SW in the morning, and they take the return flight back, just as the sun threatens to set. 

i just really want to know where they are going, and i might even have to risk making a new friend if that will finally bring me some answers. 

so, there i was this afternoon, sipping my hot beverage and catching up with Norbert. (s)he had stopped by for a snack of stale tortilla chips and puddles of melted ice water. i kept glancing up from my screen, hopeful that the depressingly-overcast clouds would part just long enough for me to (literally) bask in the glow of sunset. 

however, it is still a cold, damp, gray Winter day here in Metropolis North, so i had to settle for clockwork murder in the orange hour... and, of course, the orange was gray. le sigh!

Norbert took off when the evening commute started, lest the crows get any funny ideas. so, i just carried on sipping my beverage, and enjoying the antics of the passing forms. they do not exactly fill the whole sky, but there is a steady ribbon of crows that follow the same path always, and it goes on for anywhere from twenty minutes to an hour... or more. and this happens twice every single day, unless we are experiencing a storm of some type. 

there are always a few stragglers, flapping extra hard to catch up with the rest of the murder. 

in the Summer, the shapes of crows would be displaced by silhouettes of bats heading out for an evening hunt... which is usually my signal to go inside. maybe i need to make two friends with special interests, because i also really need to know where those bats hang out all day. 

Muppets would be homeless...

i woke up from a dream about witches flying around a massive kitchen on broomsticks, competing in a cooking show. the 2024 season of Great British Menu—my absolute fave of all the 'Great' shows—is underway. i may have also just recovered from a two week stretch without a single sunny day by rewatching all the films in a certain magical franchise. 

speaking of potters... we were sitting down to watch the latest episode of  The Great Pottery Throw Down, when i made an... uhm... uplifting discovery. they pot in Canada! boy, do they pot in Canada. so, we watched the very first episode of  The Great Canadian Pottery Throw Down. 

i was concerned that Seth Rogen's involvement in this was purely "vanity", but he actually really knows his stuff. he is also Seth Rogen... so it got interesting real fast. the contestants started working on items that reminded them of home, while the judges retreated to their backstage discussion area. this is when Seth reached back, to pull out a beautiful object that reminds him of the mountains back home. naturally, it is a bong. 

i almost died laughing.

this is the CBC. it is (largely) publicly-funded, like PBS and NPR back home in the States. because of that public funding, their programming (television and radio) is free for all to enjoy, and it (usually) falls under the heading of 'family viewing'... which is why my 'raised by Puritanical American television' mind melted. 

i could barely get the words out. i was laughing so hard. 

me: what??? you can't do this on publicly-funded tv! i don't even think you'd be allowed to do this on the major networks. definitely not during primetime. this would have to be on some kind of streaming service you're paying extra for. i am certain that if this happened on a regular family program back home...

then i paused to reflect on scenes of CDs being crushed, wine bottles emptied down drains, the near global shortage of duct tape because of a beer can... to name a few 'American overreaction moments'.  

me: yep... there would definitely have to be many rounds of Congressional hearings because of this pottery contest. Muppets would be homeless. 

then Seth proceeded to demonstrate how easily he crafts an ashtray specially designed for holding joints, and he set the contestants the challenge of making one of their own... then i just carried on laughing. 

all both of them...

did i mention that i seem to have some sort of fan club going at my dentist's office? the animator informed me of said fact... right after he stopped laughing. you should probably know that i go out of my way most days to avoid human contact. i never claimed to be problem-free. this particular day, i had asked him to call and make an appointment for me. then i heard him laughing as he came walking down the hall.

him: i started saying your name, and the receptionist got so excited, she practically screamed the last part. then she said, "oh, we know exactly who [me] is".

me: that definitely does not sound good. what did i... but probably you... do to make me so memorable at the dentist's office?

then i started to frantically review the last few times either one of us went near that building. 

him: it's not anything like that. they remember the orange sweater you were wearing last time. remember everyone kept giving you compliments about it everywhere we went that day?

me: uhm, yeh...?

him: well the receptionists are knitters, and they couldn't stop talking about it after you left. they were both practically squealing when they heard your name. 

me: good grief!

this is the garment in question, by the way. 

the pattern is "Ro" by This.Bird.Knits (on Ravelry).

the top is not even a particularly special one. it was mostly passive knitting while watching stuff. most of all, it was something i starting making one night a couple-few years ago, when my left eye started twitching because it was snowing... in April. i know!

this has become one of my most-worn handknits. i used a smooth cotton yarn that drapes really well, and feels soft and cool against the skin. i (mostly) followed the pattern, but i did add a bit of shaping for the hips... because i have them. 

of course, it has pockets! did you even need to ask?

so, now i have fans... all both of them. one knits, and the other one (mostly) crochets (which i am willing to forgive in this instance). i may have also mentioned that i like to spin and dye, so now i have an excuse to take them some of my own yarn... like these two i dyed one sleepless night. i got to test out an idea i had about creating tonal depth using a single color... and they each got a 100g hank of hand-dyed yarn. everybody wins, no?

one of dem days...

 we (sorta) made plans for a quick day trip out of town to do some Nature watching. we proceed to wake up way too late to make it worth the drive. plus, there was that other thing.

him: sweetie... can you get me some headache pills? 

so, i pulled back the blanket and climbed out of bed... and almost fell over sideways. turns out, severe sinus pressure has a habit of confusing the mechanism in your inner-ear that is vital for stuff like balance and knowing which way is up. so, i had to stumble along to the bathroom, using the wall for support and guidance... which was a lot. i returned a short while later with painkillers, which we shared.

we then scolded ourselves for doing anything so stupid as to make plans in mid-Winter, even in a mild one like this. we have accepted that it is 'one of dem days'... until April... or May.

i get that people like adventuring in the cold, but taking photos of animals from the comfort of a heated vehicle is my notion of Winter Sport... like this one. i am fairly certain it is a ring-billed gull. 

(s)he was hanging out atop a mountain of snow, watching chunks of ice float down the St. Lawrence. yes. that qualifies as a pastime. especially when it is cold, and you live in the middle of a large river. 

speaking of activities in the cold... i have been watching curling. totally unironically. well... sorta unironically. it began, naturally, with the last Winter Olympics. i (and the rest of the planet) am amused by a sport where people spend so much time yelling "SVEEEP". then the Olympics were done, and i kept on watching. not enough to qualify as a "fan", but i definitely find it fascinating, and i would be down for giving it a try.

best of all... the animator makes fun of me every time he sees me watching curling, but it always ends the same way.

him: what's that [pointing to the screen]?

me: i'm watching Matt Dunstone play Joël Retornaz at the 2024 Co-op Canadian Open. 

two hours (and many curling jokes) later...

him: wow! Dunstone really does have a special touch with the stone. and he really seems to be handling the conditions better than everyone else. they're getting tripped up by the low humidity making the ice so dry. but, man... Dunstone can put that stone right where he wants it.

then i just looked at him.

me: do you even hear yourself right now?

then we laughed for a bit. that is how we handle most days. 

he is still alive...

there i was, hurrying down the hall, reminding myself that "i need to take some photos of those Masters while there's still light". not exactly Monet, but i approve.

my home is a working Animation space. there are countless items like this... well... everywhere. however, most of that is his crap. my crap is (mostly) of the yarny variety. 

still, there we were, walking around Gotham Central Comics, and i kept coming back to these two. so, they came home with me... a day before the ban on "acquiring unnecessary crap" (which we had agreed on just days before) was to go into effect. i may have also bought an orchid right after we left the comic book store, so it is safe to say that this ban will not last very long. but, at least we are trying. 

so, there i was today... finally getting around to taking my Masters out of their boxes, and getting a closer look at them for the first time, when i made the gravest mistake.

me: sweetie... i want to take a picture with He-Man holding his sword, but i can't get it into his hand.

so, he came to have a look. less than ten seconds later, there was a snapping noise followed by...

him: oops!

my left eye started to insta-twitch. 

him: i'm just gonna take this to the studio. 

at which point, he exited the room carrying the He-Man figure... and TWO pieces of his sword. he started asking me something about a UV light and glue, but i was in a state of shock. 

he returned a short while later, proudly displaying the figure of He-Man, now brandishing his sword.

him: tada! good as new!

me: *TWITCH*

him: you can't even tell the difference... as long as you don't plan to ever take the sword from his hand.

me: *TWITCH* i was just gonna take a picture, and then put it back in the package... then never take it out again.

him: well, there has to be some way to get it back in the box with the sword in his hand. 

me: it is physically impossible to get it back in the box. *TWITCH*

i should note that he was trying especially hard not to break out laughing through this whole exchange. he has hundreds of collectible figures for all sorts of things... plus all the stuff he preordered before the ban, that keeps showing up in the mail. 

him: i have to repair parts of figures all the time. it happens. 

me: *TWITCH*

him: but i know how you are, so you're probably gonna get all stressed out because you can't stop thinking about it being broken.

me: *TWITCH*

he did offer to replace it, and i did consider letting him do so, but only for a minute or two.

him: why not just get a new one? it would be exactly the same.

me: no it won't.

him: why not?

me: because i would know. i bought them together in the comic book store where you used to hang out with your brother, and i only went with you that day because he was sick. they are mementos of that day. a new He-Man would never be the same.

luckily, i took a few shots before taking them out of the boxes. and i am glad to report that he is still alive... for now. 

modest midweek meal...

i love seafood. seafood does not always feel the same. as a result, the list of 'sea things that hate me' seems to get a bit longer with each new year. i can still enjoy fish, but shrimp and prawns are now 'eat at your own risk'. that discovery process might have involved a visit to  the Emergency Room. the details are still a bit fuzzy.

so, what is one to do?

you make mussels, of course!

mussels are awesome! they can be farmed in open waters with minimum impact. in fact, they have been known to improve the surrounding habitat in many places, largely by promoting a healthier local ecosystem where other species can thrive. so, there is that.

but, most of all, they are delicious... and cheap! a significant proportion of all the mussels imported to the US is farmed in Eastern Canada, including in Quebec. as a result, they are available fresh and (relatively) local all year... and they are an incredibly affordable seafood treat. 

so, i present to you, a modest midweek meal in Montreal.

[full disclosure: my kitchen is tiny, and the lighting sucks, so i had to drag out a light stand, which got in the way. this meant constantly tripping over stuff. so, a meal that should have taken less than ten minutes, ended up taking twice as long. did i mention that i really love this place?]

this is very bare bones, in terms of flavor. i used what was at hand, including (pre)chopped leeks, chopped green onions, a bit of roughly chopped jalapeño, and lime juice to taste.

grab the kitchen staples of butter and olive oil.

add a glug of oil and a pat of butter to a pan on medium heat. 

in go the leek, onion, and jalapeño.

add two pounds (one mesh bag) of mussels, washed and clean.

i added a generous sprinkling of kosher salt, along with my special pepper mix. this is a multi-colored pepper blend, with the addition of some coriander seeds from last Summer's balcony garden project. yes, i freshly grind my pepper and coriander... because, of course i do. and, no, i do not own a pepper grinder, mainly because i do not want one. i should also note that any (wholly unwanted) pepper grinders that are gifted to me will end up in the Salvation Army. yes, mom... i am talking to you. 

i am not really into white wine, not unless it is sparkling, but i do love a good hard cider! this one is from a cider house just outside of Montreal. in goes about half the can. 

i love that mussels open right up once the steam rises. you just need to throw the cover on the pan for a couple minutes, while you finish off the rest of that cider.

remove the cover and turn off the heat. this is where the extra-special magic comes it. first, an extra pat of butter near the side of the pan...

and some freshly squeezed lime juice over everything. then, give the pan a few gentle swirls to ensure that every bit of the jus will be extra delicious.

you will need an extra tasty sauce. where else are you gonna dip your chunks of baguette?

here comes the crazy bit though... i still had to take an antihistamine before eating this meal. i am still allergic to wheat, just not nearly as bad as with prawns and shrimp. the wheat allergy remains, thankfully, non-life-threatening. so, i can risk a touch of hives for the occasional delicious meal. this one certainly was. 

best part is, the whole meal (including the half a cider i drank, and other half of the baguette he had for breakfast the next day) cost about the same as a sandwich and a drink at a coffee shop. not bad for the middle of the week, no?

now, with more sky...

i got a weird thing to show you, so tell all the boys and girls. well... not really. but i did get a new laptop last year, and i could not wait to take it for a spin.

him: what's the very first thing you're gonna do with it? play a game?
me: nope. i am going to listen to the first video You Tube recommends. 

so, i did... for like two hours on loop, while i installed and updated things. at least the Algorithm's got style, right?  

i have not done much gaming in recent years, but i remain firmly committed to the Republic of Gamers. this time around,  i opted for the Strix G17... because i can hear you asking.  

it only took like two years to finally settle on one i like. and now, i am toying with the idea of  upgrading my camera. if i stay on brand, that might actually happen before the end of the decade. mostly, i need a better setup for taking photos of the night sky. my current camera (and i, to be completely honest) are not really up to the task. i want to be able to see those cities on the moon!

you see, we lost a large section of the old maple due to an ice storm back in December. just regular Winter activity. it was like part of the charm of this space was gone. then, after weeks of nonstop grayness... something cosmic happened! 

me: sweetie!!! you have to come see this. 

so, he did. i sat there, overexcitedly pointing at the sky tracker on the screen, then picking out the constellations in the night sky. and he... well, he was mostly looking at me being overexcited. 

him: i'm gonna buy you that telescope you've been talking about since we moved here, and i'm gonna pick it out myself, because it will take you a million years to decide.

seriously... everyone should have their own enthusiastic-enabler. and, naturally, i will have to document all of this absurdity, so i need to get back to overthinking cameras. 

until then...!

Jupiter just slipped out of sight (looking WSW), but Orion and Lepus are in full view. i might even catch a glimpse of Gemini and Leo before the sun rises... if the sun rises. so, pardon me while i refill my cup, and settle down for an evening of Cosmic Viewing... now, with more sky! 

of course his name is Woody...

ever wake up feeling like someone lit the fuse on an ACME bomb, and your skull is containing all of the explosion? my sinuses do not do well in Winter... which makes it near impossible to sleep most nights (or days)... which tends to result in the most dangerous pastime of all... overthinking!

i do that a lot, apparently. at least, that is what the animator always says, and mom is quick to agree, so i guess it must be a thing.

the one positive to this recent attack of sleeplessness is that it gave me a chance to catch up with a friend who is more of a morning... uhm... person? so, there i was, lost in ponderance against the backdrop of sunrise, when my overthinking was interrupted by a quick flash of movement. 

i am developing an appreciation for the the noble art of birdwatching, especially when it is like subscribing to a delivery service. i sit here, sipping hot beverages, and the birds come to me. Uber Tweets? InstaOrnithology? DoorTwitch? HelloBird? somebody needs to make this happen!!!

most of the birds fly South for the season, but there are a few hardy varieties that hang around for Winter. i recently found myself in a staring contest, from like two meters away, with a blue jay. it went on for nearly five minutes, and it seriously felt like he had been given the assignment to study me and report back to headquarters. i was afraid to even reach for a camera... so we just sat there, exchanging looks, until he blinked and flew away. 

i even see the occasional bird of prey soaring by, especially when the snowy landscape makes it easy to spot their next meal. this time around, however, my morning visitor was a male Eastern Downy Woodpecker. it is nice to finally put a face to all the noise. 

i guess no one explained the concept of a still life to Woody, because he just really wanted to hop around. and, yes... of course his name is Woody!

if you squint a bit, you might spot a few black dots on his outer, white tail feather(s). that is how you distinguish between Hairy and Downy woodpeckers (according to the folks at Cornell, so blame them if that is incorrect). 

i was looking up, while he was upside down, tapping away at an old branch. is 'bottom-up top-view' a thing?

so far, i am resisting falling further down the birding rabbit hole. i mainly try to appreciate those moments when they happen.

best of all, my cat (Cordy) does not seem to get that she is supposed to be some sort of mighty predator. so, she just snuggles under the blanket with me, and watches the birds... or the bats... or the squirrels. her other hobbies include laying claim to my stuff, and being told that she is the 'Sweetest Cupcake in the World'. seriously... can you think of a better birding buddy?

knowledge is worse than vampires...

oh, yeh... i am into whittling now. trust me... i am fully aware that i need to be stopped for my own good. 

i bought some 1/8" thick, hardwood boards, and i made the mistake of asking him to cut them down to 1 1/2" wide starting blanks. 

him: why are you even whittling anything?

five minutes later...

him: did you look at those whittling videos i sent you?

i should point out that he is not really a 'splainer, but more of an enthusiastic-enabler. 

me: nope. i did not open a single one of the links.
him: why not? i'm just sharing information and knowledge. 
me: i'm starting to think that maybe knowledge is worse than vampires.
him: how so?
me: vampires wait to be invited in.

then he walked off, muttering something about 'what kind of so-called educator turns down the offer of knowledge'. but, mostly, i know that he was probably going to write that down, because seriously... that was brilliant!

this is hardly whittling. mostly, i needed to taper the edges to prevent snagging on everything. 

by the power of Grayskull...!

then came a few passes with some fine sandpaper, and a quick coat of wood wax to seal.  

it may not look like much, but they will (eventually) be used as pickup sticks and beaters. and, yes... i know how that sounds, because i am a forever-child. unfortunately, it is just bits for loom weaving. then, i started watching videos about wave stick weaving, so i had to whittle some more. 

i want to add a bit of snakeskin texture to this one, soon as i figure out how to make that happen... on my own, thank you! 

have i used any of these objects? of course not, but now i have even more crafting equipment to ignore. 

meanwhile, the animator has gotten back into painting miniatures. he has been stockpiling 3D printed models, like these ones. we tend to take things to the extreme, so the studio will most likely be acquiring a 3D printer real soon.

this is my favorite finished one so far.

next to a can of orange Crush, for scale.

i like that the head detaches from the roboty bit. i would ask what it is called or where he bought it, but then he would start talking to me about miniatures. so... pass!

best part is, now he keeps seeing the potential for "props" in every chunk of wood he sees outdoors. i have never been for walks with a hyperactive puppy... but i can imagine how it goes. 

him: ooh... we should take that one home. you could carve it into like a gnarly old dragon, and i can paint it and add some minis to make it look like an army of troll hunters are trying to take down the dragon. 

it is like staring into a mirror of absurdity. seriously, people... we both need to be stopped!