The Cantina Staring Back At You From The Abyss

[MaeZe]

Happy Turkey Day to you all. I'm sitting home with my feet up eating banana bread for breakfast. I don't have to go to the in-laws for dinner—too many people, too many germs. My son and DIL are going and they'll bring me back some food.

Had a nice call from one of my two brothers. I think we three are all nearing the end of our expiration dates, we're all having various medical problems. Other than that it was a nice call.

And it's beautiful outside.

 

[Brightdreamer]

Beautiful, but a bit chilly, at least in our valley...

Speaking of, I'm lookin' at a long range forecast I don't particularly like. I'm thinking of calling the tire shop tomorrow and asking if I can get the studs on this coming week... which is very early, as we don't normally need extra traction until after the new year, but I'm looking at precipitation plus very cold nights plus not too warm days which often equals the kind of lingering ice on our shaded little back roads that require chains or studs to deal with... I hope I'm being paranoid.

At the very least, I think I need to take the front door panels off and take another crack at spraying down the innards that like to freeze solid in very cold conditions...

But all that has to wait until tomorrow or the weekend, because right now it's about time to get shoes on and start transporting stuff to the car for the family gathering. (And after the family gathering I have to drop the sibling off at her store so she can talk to someone there, take Mom and Dad home, and come back out to pick the sibling up and take her to one of the only stores open regular evening hours... so, yeah... gonna be a Fun (TM) day.)

ETA - And now Dad may not be able to go; must've eaten something that disagreed with him, because he's having some bathroom Issues. And if he stays home Mom has to stay home. Sibling and I may still make the trek because we're bringing the potato and jello salads, and because sibling still has to go out today anyway... Anyway, we have about half an hour to make the yea/nay call on Dad. (Leaning "nay" at the moment.)

 

[Little Anonymous Me]

'Ello, Cantina. This was my first year being in charge of all the food, and it went very well (hooray). All except for some obstinate rolls that refused to brown.

Trying to squeeze out a few words before my brain goes poof. I can feel the impending collapse lol. Made the mistake of peeking on Query Tracker earlier today, and I've gone from 325 to 216 on the agent's timeline in about a week. That is a whirlwind of noes.

 

[Brightdreamer]

Hooray for successful food and word squeezes!

Boo for obstinate rolls!

And it's finally Thursday evening. The family gathering wasn't bad, though the uncle with the persistent cough insisted on showing up anyway... and sitting next to/talking to Dad... and coughing all over, with and without a mask. He did a COVID test before showing up, but there's other crud around, and my father doesn't need any of it. None of us need any of it.

And the theme for today's driving was "white line hugger". The cars in front of us kept veering toward/going over the white line at the edge of the road.

On the way back, we were treated to a subtle yet pretty sunset over the lake. I took a side way home that took us past the local lake at the perfect time to see it (nowhere to pull over and take a picture, and we needed to get Dad home by then anway, but it was a nice way to wrap the trip).

Anyway, got recycling dealt with, unpacked the trunk, dealt with the sibling (she stopped off on the way home to talk to a work friend who is leaving; tonight was her last shift), got the car covered because cold tonight and work tomorrow, and I'm currently munching on a plate of leftovers and decompressing, because of course by the time we got home Mom kicked into stress mode again.

 

[MaeZe]

Coughing uncles suck. People just don't understand the germ theory.

Heard from my other brother, as usual the discussion was about health issues and this brother goes on and on bragging about all his step-kids. He called one of the kids his daughter then feels the need to explain that he is her father for all intents and purposes. (She still lived at home when he got married but she was about 15 I think; the others were already out of the house.) Honestly, I don't understand that need to explain, it's not like I don't know she's technically a step-kid.

Oddly, my other brother simply calls the two step-kids by name, doesn't feel the need to say, my son or stepson. One of them is like a son, he raised the boy since T was in elementary school. The other was raised by his real dad, a split custody arrangement. This brother calls T's kids his grandkids.

I'm glad both brothers live in another state. Makes it nicer when the holidays come around.

 

[Brightdreamer]

Hooray for remote relatives!

And windin' down the day.

We're keeping Dad on a limited diet until we're sure he's over whatever kicked his gut today. (He had a second, distinctly less severe Incident after the gathering; since then, it's been water and saltines and an "adult nutrition" drink, and half an Immodium. We're going to give him chicken broth with crackers after his phone call instead of his usual stuff... assuming his friend calls tonight.) If it persists we may have to find a way to get him looked at.

Just what we needed... not...

Also have to remind myself to call the tire place tomorrow about getting the studs on next week (or this weekend, if that's an option). I'm probably being paranoid and jumping the gun, here, but I keep looking at that forecast for early December, and I'm seeing the kind of stuff we don't usually get until later in winter - the kind that really frells up the roads - and I'm feeling like a little paranoid gun-jumping may be warranted... Will double-check long range forecasts tomorrow morning, maybe.

 

[Friendly Frog]

Gaaah one of my christmas packages has ended up in a collection point at the other end of town. Pretty sure I had specified home delivery but fne. Bugrit.

 

[Brightdreamer]

Boo for messed-up deliveries!

Friday afternoon, rainy and very dim out there. Hopefully the rain's letting up here, as I need to get my studded tires into the car tonight. (In other words, I did indeed remember to call the tire place about putting on the studs, and they said they could do it but it it's not something they do appointments for, more a first-come thing. So my plan is to go down there before opening tomorrow and camp out until I have studded tires on my car. I may or may not have to do the same for the sibling's car, since she's so perpetually exhausted from night shifts that she can't get it done herself, and it's next Tuesdayish that the first round of possible crud weather's rolling in (her next day off is Wednesday). So either we hope it's not as bad as they're billing it and she rides it out until she can do it herself, or I have to pick a day to get her iffy car down there myself... possibly after Dad's appointment on Monday, if I can kick back shopping. (Bonus: there's a possibility something is Not Well with the sibling's car in a way that means they won't release it until it's fixed, meaning it could be there overnight at least. Which will entail all sorts of shuffling around of transportation, not helped by me having an early-start day on Wednesday... TL,DR: this next week will probably be a total frellin' mess.)

I think it may be letting up on the rain, so I'd best see about loadin' up the car with tire. In any case, light is already fading even though it's only a quarter past 3 PM; our little valley gets dark early this time of year...

 

[CMBright]

I decided not to participate in the NaNo challenge this year. Officially, at least. I hit 44k words today between two projects.

 

[Brightdreamer]

Hooray for words!

And somehow the rest of Friday melted away without me accomplishing much of anything. I did manage to do a decent roast in the roasting pan, though, which is surprising as I'm usually too lazy to use the roasting pan. (They had a very good cut of roast that normally ran for 60 bucks on sale for under 30, so I had to try... very much worth it.) And I also finally managed to post my two reviews for today; I finished an audiobook at work, then read a children's chapter book during a prolonged gremlin break.

The tires have been loaded in the car, so tomorrow morning I trek down to the tire place before opening and hope not too many other people have the same idea, though with the weather forecasts I'm not holding my breath. Eh, well. I'm pretty sure it'll get done some time on Saturday, but I can't guarantee when. Will have my phone and my Kindle and possibly a physical book with me... fingers crossed I get home before noon. (Will also probably have two empty diesel canisters in the trunk to fill on my way home. And hopefully no shopping to do; should be decently set for food, since I also managed to snag a two-day turkey - as in a turkey that should last us two days - for under six bucks at the store today. So hopefully I get home in time to start that... and if I don't I'm grabbing frozen lasagna or something.)

And I think I'll end up losing Monday to getting the sibling's car studded up, too, which I'll have to do after Dad's INR visit and shopping (which I would've postponed, but sibling insists on having her Monday tostado salad come heck or high water, dang it, or I could at least try to get the thing in earlier...). So there's my Monday, pretty much.

 

[CobraMisfit]

Happy Post-Thanksgiving to everyone. Hope you all had an appropriately relaxing and gluttonous event.

Morning, gang.


Whut up?

 

[Brightdreamer]

Saturday morning, and heading out soonish for the tire swapout (and hoping not too many people have the same idea; it's just not worth it to me to camp out in a parking lot for hours before the tire store even opens to be first in line). Going to double check the fuel situation before I go; it's not worth taking empty diesel canisters if there's only one because I'll have to top another one by Monday and I can just do the two at once, maybe on the way home from Dad's INR.

At least it didn't freeze last night... which reminds me that I need to do another round of door lubing today or tomorrow.

 

[CMBright]

Happy Post-Thanksgiving to everyone. Hope you all had an appropriately relaxing and gluttonous event.

Morning, gang.


Whut up?

I had my turkey feast at Grandy's (not fast food, good food fast chain) on Wednesday. Was happy to learn that Thanksgiving with Spouse's extended family was called off for the three of us. Kid would have been thrilled, I would have been stressed.

My November word count is up. To 46K at the moment. Not officially doing NaNo, but unofficially? Thrilled at the monthly word count.

Later today or tomorrow, we are going shopping. I'm going to invest in a printer.

What are you up to?

 

[Brightdreamer]

Hooray for word counts and printers!

On the plus side, got into the tire place early.

On the minus side, I need a grand worth of brake work... which at least can be done today, but still... (They have been feeling off lately.)

--

Sooo, I'm home at last from the day's excursion.

The brakes feel nice.

The tires are on.

I have a nice, nearly two grand new dent in the credit card.

And on the way home...

Do you want to guess what light came back on?

Go on, have a guess.

I bet you can't guess.

If you want a hint, it's the light that ended with a north of two grand bill not even a month ago.

That's right. The Check Engine light came on.

Now, unlike last time, the car was running just fine and all the needles looked normal.

But before the light came on, I had a rough idle while backing out of a parking space at a store.

Anyway, it being Saturday (and no shops but the tire store being open), I had no choice but to get the thing home. Where, of course, I get stuck behind every slow putter and refuses-to-turn-right-on-red-even-though-it's-wide-open driver on the road. But the car was running fine the whole way except for that light (again, unlike last time the light came on).

So, right now the plan is:

Sunday - Do nothing.

Monday - In the morning, I have to take the sibling's car down to the tire shop to get her studs on (and quite probably get her brakes fixed, too, because I just know something else will be wrong with it). I will hopefully use her car to top the two furnace fuel canisters that will need topping by then, Just In Case. Because after I get her car home, I'll be contacting the shop and hopefully driving the car down there for a diagnosis and (please dear gods of metal and ignitions) quick fix that will (also please dear gods of machinery) be under warranty.

This highlights the fact that I need at least a second job, if not a much better first job, in 2023. Because at the rate this is going I'm not going to have a savings account left by the end of winter.

 

[Gatteau]

Ugh, car issues suck. I'm absolutely no expert, but in your case, BD, since you mentioned just switching out the tires, we have had cars before that have some sort of tire pressure sensor that gets thrown out of whack whenever the tires get pulled off or put on, and it just needs to be reset and clear the code, and the light will go off (once or twice I will admit we have just put a piece of tape over the light, because we know exactly why it's on, and it's wrong). Just a thought to perhaps mention that if you take it in for a diagnostic test, so that they don't automatically try and tell you it'll be something super expensive. So often it is a case of basically "turn it off, turn it back on".

 

[Brightdreamer]

Ugh, car issues suck. I'm absolutely no expert, but in your case, BD, since you mentioned just switching out the tires, we have had cars before that have some sort of tire pressure sensor that gets thrown out of whack whenever the tires get pulled off or put on, and it just needs to be reset and clear the code, and the light will go off (once or twice I will admit we have just put a piece of tape over the light, because we know exactly why it's on, and it's wrong). Just a thought to perhaps mention that if you take it in for a diagnostic test, so that they don't automatically try and tell you it'll be something super expensive. So often it is a case of basically "turn it off, turn it back on".

I can only hope... but it did do a rough start not long before the light decided to come on. So I'm suspecting there's something the shop missed a month ago when they were fixing the really bad rough-idle-and-light issue. I'll juuust be squeaking under the wire of a thirty-day guarantee (that I'm probably misreading anyway) to have them check it again.

I just want my car working and back home with me by Monday night.

Actually, what I want is for "I'm not entirely on fire yet" to not be the closest I can get to things being actually okay (and then having more of me burn just to prove that my previous benchmark of okay was unrealistically optimistic)...

Sorry. Just stuck in a mental energy hole right now.

(Doesn't help that Mom's extra stressed out... and Dad's extra loopy, which is not a great thing for a man in his physical and mental condition to be... and sibling's not exactly in a great place, either...)

Sigh.

Can't even break the mental rut to watch the shows I wanted to watch, either.

 

[CMBright]

After last year, I decided not to do the NaNo challenge this year. Main WiP? From a major scratch and restart at the start of the month, 29.8K at the moment. Recycle of last year's NaNo attempt, starting with a clean file? 20.5K. Between the two? A bit over 50K since start of month.

I did not expect this when I thought I'd watch the word count from start of month.

 

[Brightdreamer]

Sunday, nearing noon, and a sunny day after a blustery night.

So far, I've done nothing but sweep the room and flip the mattress, because I meant to do that yesterday and it did not happen because Reasons.

Later I need to get a turkey started, and if Mom ever gets around to cleaning up for the new furnace tank I'd really like to expedite that.

Also need to load the studded tires into the sibling's back seat for tomorrow morning. And if I'm ambitious I need to re-silicone my front car doors for oncoming crud weather.

Mergh.

--

Later, and managed most of what I set out to do (except fetching recycle and trash bins, which just will have to wait.)

Waiting on turkey in the oven; once it's out I can make side dishes while it sets.

Loaded up the studs, and re-lubed my front doors for whatever good it does. Weather forecasts are mixed on if we'll get nothing, trace, or a decent snow dump, and even when the worst of the cold hits. (Local stations say the end of this week, Weather Channel pushes it back to next week, and I'm really hoping they're all wrong and it doesn't happen at all.)

And now sibling is siblingating again in the other room. No, dinner won't be ready for at least half an hour, dang it... I can't make the turkey cook faster. Nor was I going to start it before noon just in case you wandered upstairs early.

--

After dinner, winding down the day, and have to remember to get to bed earlier than usual and set my alarm. The earlier I can get the sibling's car to the tire shop, the sooner I can (hopefully) get home and deal with my own malfunctioning pile of scrap metal... if it's running decent despite the light hopefully I can drive it down, but I can't even contact the shop until I know if I'll be driving the sibling's car home or if I'll be taking a taxi... (And if my car needs to stay overnight, I have to get a rental, which is gonna suck at the price but it needs to happen. Because we cannot be without a car. We just cannot. Mom's already on the edge of panicking about being without transportation. We already called to tell the blood people Dad can't make his appointment tomorrow, but we need groceries eventually, and I need to top fuel containers by Tuesday.)

--

Was going to watch something tonight, but my brain just won't get in that space... Instead, I looked into requirements for car rentals since it's been ages since we've had to do that (covering my bases for tomorrow, a.k.a the Great Car Shuffle). Looks like I should be good to go. Fingers crossed I won't need to test that, though...

My Kindle may also be dying; I just charged it not long ago, and it says it's already drained. Used to hold a charge forever, dang it... maybe I need a new one for Xmas (I prefer reading on eInk to lit screens, so I'd rather not have to use an app).

Okay, come on, brain... you need to shut down early tonight, so enough with the stewing over what could go wrong with All The Things tomorrow and whether you need to buy more diesel containers in case we get an arctic blast.

One good thing: Dad's less loopy today (comparatively, but then it's always comparative with dementia involved), so I'm thinking it was just some sort of passing bug that's resolving, knock on plywood.

 

[Friendly Frog]

Did nothing much this weekend, expect for playing easy puzzle games on the tablet, which I now naturally feel really bad about it. Yeah, worst own enemy. My and my inertia.

At least muscles are feeling normal again. So maybe those shelves finally got built this week.

 

[Brightdreamer]

Hooray for lazy weekends when you needed one!

Boo for guilt!

Monday morning, at the tire shop again with the siblings car. Fingers crossed on no surprises... they're already swamped, and they only opened half an hour ago.

--

And home again. No surprises, amazingly... so now we have two cars with studded tires. And there was already snow a good third of the way down the nearby mountains, so I'm thinking we just squeaked in under the wire. (That, and the shop was booked up through Wednesday by an hour after opening - and putting on studded tires is "first come first serve", meaning back of the line...)

Am chilling for a bit before contacting the shop about my car's Check Engine light. Hoping the sibling's car didn't use up all the ambient good car luck in the household.

 

[Cobalt Jade]

I had a long talk with my nephew and his wife yesterday and he tells me he's being PAID to be a D&D Dungeon Master on Discord as a side hustle! As he told me, "I'm being paid to do what I love." His two girls play D&D too. My young adult geekery has been carried on through him to a new generation!

 

[Friendly Frog]

Hooray for lazy weekends when you needed one!

Boo for guilt!

I wish I could get one without the other! But I guess once you're stuck in that mindset, good luck of getting out. *sigh*

I have now stored my tablet downstairs to let mom have it to play games on for a while.

...I'm going to seriously dislike this decision in the morning. But ah, maybe then I'll get out of bed sooner and do something useful with the time.

Monday morning, at the tire shop again with the siblings car. Fingers crossed on no surprises... they're already swamped, and they only opened half an hour ago.

Sounds like you made the right call to go early!

 

[Brightdreamer]

Hooray for paid dungeon masters!

And I'm home again.

There's a long and boring story involving the shop (soonest they could guarantee seeing it is Thursday, but if I dropped it off earlier...), but as of now the car is dropped off (still drove fairly well despite the Check Engine light glaring at me) and I am now the proud temporary driver of a rental car. I just... could not spend a week without a car again, especially as this time the sibling isn't off work and couldn't be a ride if the absence lasts past Wednesday.

Though if we get slop weather I'm calling out of work, because I am not risking life and limb and rental car deposit to take things out of boxes...

Also managed to get shopping done, and topped the diesel supply for the furnace, so we should be good on that until later in the week.

Now I'm chilling for a while trying to get the gumption up to fetch the bins from the bottom of the lane, along with the mail...

Also have to put the sibling's non-studded tires back in the shed for storage...

Even though I haven't technically exercised this weekend, I sure have been getting a workout...

 

[tiddlywinks]

*brushes dust and glitter off as she rises from the smibble pile*
*waves*

Hi! Went on long hiatus again. Busy summer with many house escapades as I looked to get the house ready to sell...only to have a flooding matter in the basement which required extensive repairs and a big repair bill not covered by insurance because rain as cause = not covered under homeowners unless you have flood insurance, which this first time homeowner didn't know and why would she get flood insurance when she's nowhere near water? Sigh.

Anyhoo. House is sold! Official closing is this Friday, but I've done everything needed on my side and my stuff is out, and the house is as clean as it's going to get. Which is pretty darn clean if I do say so myself.

So now I'm mostly moved in to my fiance's place. *cough* Did I mention I also got engaged last month? *grin* It was an adorable proposal, too, involving a compass as the ring box and him not wanting to be lost without me in his life, etc. etc. I'll tell the fuller story at some point in the near future.

We are now happily squabbling over what stays and what gets donated as we are combining two households. And buying a new dishwasher since old dishwasher gave up the ghost the day after Thanksgiving. At which time we discovered the lovely not to code wiring mess behind the dishwasher that requires an electrician. Ah, good times.

I'm currently happy as a bug in a rug, ensconced in my teal creative room with my purple velvet sofa, the Tears of Ink artwork hanging on my wall (because I told my brother he wasn't getting it back unless I was dead, though I'm paying him very nicely for his artwork, so don't judge me), and surrounded by bright colors and my beads. And my writing desk, with an extra monitor now to make things easier for editing! In theory, I'm supposed to be editing right now, but am working on the attention span needed, plus reminding the teenagers not to walk through my creative room as access to the kitchen when my door is shut...details, details.

How are you all?

*leaves a cloud of glitter in her skipping wake*

 

[Brightdreamer]

Hooray for engagements and house sales and bug-infested glittery rugs! (I may have skimmed... )

Got the bins fetched along with the mail. (And I wasn't the last person on the lane to get their recycle bin, so, yay, not the laziest person in the neighborhood!)

Also put the tires away.

So now I am officially Done With Everything until it's time to make dinner. And since it's leftover turkey night, all that means is heating up some stuffing and gravy, and maybe some veggies if I get ambitious and decide to pretend anything we do is remotely healthy. Thank you, last week me, for picking up that two-day-sized turkey on discount... today's definitely the day I needed a lazy dinner option.