vital functions

[kaberett]

Reading. The Mortal Word, Genevieve Cogman. Book five in the series, so on the one hand I knew exactly what I was getting into, and on the other I still had to take a break to stare at a wall at the point at which the narrative wanted me to simltaeously believe that our protagonist (1) is a clever, competent, librarian-spy working all across the multiverse but currently domiciled in a alternative Victoria London, and (2) has never seen a marbled endpaper.

I also continue extremely hmm about how these books handle trans characters and the emotional landscape of adoption, never mind the issue of metaphysics, but equally: it's the fifth in a series and not only am I still reading, I've now put a library hold on the sixth one. They're extremely popcorny, and honestly it's a very cosy and very comfortable sort of Baffled Outrage that they provoke, which is in marked contrast to my current engagement with work and in consequence I am finding it very soothing.

This came in when I was still partway through The Story of My Life, Helen Keller, so given how long the hold queue was I put down the Keller and have now resumed. I am as far as The Water Pump Incident and am utterly charmed by this dreadful child.

Listening. TMA. Even having vaguely osmosed plot via tumblr well before listening to any of it, I am... deeply amused at how much more I'm appreciating all the Bits of the first season I now have context for.

Simon Indelicate Does A Livestream.

Cooking. INJERA. Batter #4 is currently Thinking About What It's Done, to be dinner either tomorrow or the day after depending on how it gets on.

More chargrilled artichoke on sourdough toast yes thank you.

More tofu-with-green-vegetables on rice.

A recipe for knock-off Ben's Cookies, with A; in conclusion, we want to halve the salt and also I should trust my gut about it being Too Little Egg if the eggs are small. The principle, however, is sound.

Making & mending. does "my ankle" count

Growing. Oh my goodness there are so many plants. I desperately need to pot up the peppers but I have run out of (1) compost/manure and (2) sensibly sized pots. Tomorrow I will go to the allotment and sift some compost, yes yes. (I have at least successfully hardened same off, fairly clearly.)

Many squash have hatched. One incredibly brave courgette also, I think (it turns out I bought the seeds for it back in 2013). I want to get some cucumbers started but I'm stalling on the tray of modules still containing cherry tomato seedlings that need potting up because... I ran out of manure-at-home and sensibly sized pots, sob. However! The plum tomatoes and beefsteak tomatoes are in Larger Containers, yes all of them, and I've potted up the two kinds of sad supermarket rescue basil. Holy basil continues. Fig is putting forth leaves enthusiastically.

Prior to my misadventure at the allotment on Wednesday, I achieved feeding the bin and a fair bit of weeding and a little rearrangement of infrastructure. I had been going to do more, but, well.

Observing. BAT BAT BAT BAT BAT. Coal tits and the robin having a face-off over the feeders. (Robin was so focussed on coal tit #1 that it entirely failed to notice coal tit #2 sneaking in and having a munch behind its back.)

I also realised that the reason the cherry tree was comfortingly full of bees is of course that the residents of the hives down the other end of the allotment site have found it. (I need to work out who to bribe for honey.)

Playing. Some Dominion Online; the horn. I continue Suspicious of staccato but did manage a play-through of a study today.

PoGo: I did not realise there were flower-crown Togepi and now I have two of them and this is The Best.

Comments

[jesse_the_k]

BAT BAT BAT!

I'm glad your ankle is in the making & mending category. Care to add it to knitting, as well?

[kaberett]

Hee! No bone damage, as far as we know, but I suppose that's not the only way that term's used...

[ewt]

I gave up and bought one of those multi-sized paper pot makers earlier this year and I have been using it A Lot more than I expected to. (And the seedlings can go straight into the ground/their next sized up pots, without unwrapping.) My error: I was *not* stockpiling scrap paper, because I thought I'd be able to ask hairyears to grab a Metro for me on the way home once or twice a week and that would be enough.

Even the junk mail has dried up. But I did recently print Yet Another Copy of the dissertation for proofreading, so there's that.

[kaberett]

Prompted by your fine example I have gone ahead and ordered a set for myself as my birthday present from my mother.

(I see your texts &c and am frustrated with myself for not managing to Actually Reply. I am thinking of you. I will keep attempting to gently herd my brain.)

[rydra_wong]

BAT!

Even having vaguely osmosed plot via tumblr well before listening to any of it, I am... deeply amused at how much more I'm appreciating all the Bits of the first season I now have context for.

Oh yeah, it's fascinating to listen to S1 again and see how much has taken on new meaning. I love their craft and construction work so much.

[kaberett]

:eye: :eye: :eye: :-p

[firecat]

Genevieve Cogman: My main issue with her books is that I keep wanting [the plots] to be tidier than they are. And yes, I found them compelling, and gobbled all six in one go.

[kaberett]

Yes, aren't they untidy! Even with ALL THE EXPOSITION they seem to make much less sense than the characters think they do!

(and the METAPHYSICS.)

[vass]

(bap)

[kaberett]

bap bap bap

(flap flap flap)

[rugessnome]

something reminded me just now that I was curious when I saw this post if you might elaborate on what tofu-with-green-vegetables on rice entails?

(I am kind of still learning to like tofu, although I do have a few tolerable-to-good preparations in my pocket. But I do like green veg, so...maybe?)

[kaberett]

I tend to find that tofu is best if I conceptualise it as Primarily A Texture and also accept that it's going to taste of What It Tastes Of plus, you know, any marinade.

The green veg prep is roughly: squash some tofu for a bit. Cut it into chunks; fry for a bit on each side so it gets some colour. Add to the pan, variously: lots of sliced garlic, a thinly-sliced courgette, some lightly-steamed broccoli. Dress with a little soy sauce and a lot of sesame oil (and optionally chuck in some mirin, some chilli, etc). Eat On Top Of Rice.