vital functions

[kaberett]

Reading. Zoe's Tale (finished), The Sagan Diary (finished) and The Human Division (in progress), John Scalzi. I continue to very gradually work on my reread in the interest of (eventually) getting to the new one (which was released in September). I remain both fond and exasperated, and honestly they are pretty much exactly my speed right now, in terms of Not Causing Feelings and Deliberately Easy Reading.

A bit more of The Visual Display of Quantitative Information (Edward Tufte) with A -- the section on time series. Which begins with the delightful fact that the first known time series graph occurs in a tenth or possibly eleventh-century manuscript, goes on via discussion of annual temperature graphs.

Tiny bit more of Index, A history of the, Dennis Duncan. Still very enjoyable, but also apparently Quite Demanding for an Alex who is Only Small and Very Tired.

Writing. Introduction continues to take shape. Word count hasn't gone up much, but that's partly because I am doing a reasonable job of Whacking Down A Bunch Of Words and then reassessing and deleting...

Listening. More of The Hidden Almanac. I continue to fret about not keeping super great track of it, which is in part because I seem to be extremely prone to going to sleep if it winds up on in the car...

Playing. We are finding an Exploders Inkulinati run alarmingly straightforward. Learning Continues.

Sudoku also continues to eat my brain. :|

Cooking. Dinner tonight included: another attempt at the Roti King cabbage poriyal, this time with more coconut, which I think has worked v well; a... loose attempt at a generous interpretation of Dishoom's gunpowder potatoes (no lime, no spring onion yet, no leaf coriander, not new potatoes...); and some pomegranate molasses-tamarind-yoghurt-chaat masala goop to sit some paneer in.

Earlier in the week I ticked a couple more things off the Cook (Almost) All Of East project (kung pao cauliflower; mushroom bao); this evening I have also had a first stab at recreating the Leon spiced tahini hot chocolate, which was Very Acceptable.

Eating. Finally managed to get a meal at the Viewpoint restaurant at Whipsnade (we keep not going at a time when it's open); mildly disappointed by the sourdough pizza, probably because I have a vague memory of a previous incarnation having aspirations to Fancy Restaurant, which I think the current set-up doesn't. Still v pleasant to eat food I didn't cook sat looking out over the Downs, though.

Exploring. ZOO.

Growing. I do not understand where the sciarid flies keep coming from but I am so, so, so over them. I am SO over them. WHY is the lithops container SUDDENLY FULL OF THEM.

That issue aside: lemongrass continues to have Leafs! If (if!) it keeps going like this I'm going to wind up needing to dispose of a bunch of plants via Freecycle/Freegle, goodness. Physalis still not doing anything visible. Ancho chillis almost but not quite All The Way Ripe.

It is almost certainly time to start sowing More Things but I think perhaps I will hold off until after I've had a chance to apply some nematodes...

Comments

[emperor]

Oh, I should read that Tufte again at some point.

[ewt]

Sciarid flies: they have a longer life cycle than the nematodes, I think, so when the nematodes all die because there aren't any larvae (or whatever the nematodes attack) the next lot of eggs hatch.

Other way of interrupting the life cycle is a layer of sand on top of the soil so the flies can't lay their eggs. Diatomaceous earth also works, for as long as it's kept dry; do wear a mask when working with it.