We were getting along fairly well under a ‘reduced travel’ order, until we saw COVID-19 leap over the Cascades, and until the highway and streets departments, asked about any decline in traffic, told the governor no, it’s not working.
So thanks to people who thought caution shouldn’t interrupt their daily routine, we are statewide locked down, and many businesses that had been able to function had to shut. It’s essential-functions only. Traffic’s quieter. But Scott can’t come help us. He did, hours before the shutdown went into effect, and got us set up, and the winter shutdown of water in the back yard is now not-shut-down.
But stores lack eggs…I’m sure it’s as lovely where you are. I hope you are all well.
I’m learning to cook ramen. Sort of.
ADVENTURES IN CHICKEN:
So you’re a family of five with one chicken. What to do? Boil the chicken, remembering to remove the ‘extra packet’ from the interior. Just boil it in hot water until it starts to come off the bone. You can also do this with leftover turkey. If your family likes liver, you could boil that, too. I’m not brave enough to add the gizzard or heart, but they’re perfectly fine if you dice them fine: they tend to toughness and strong flavor.
Strip the meat from the chicken. Plunk the whole carcass that remains into a very large pot of water with onion or garlic, a single clove, diced celery or celery seed if you don’t have fresh; diced carrot. Bay leaf if you have it. Boil, lidded; and boil some more. Then take a strainer and pull all the bones out. DO NOT GIVE THESE TO A DOG OR CAT: COOKED BONE SPLINTERS! You now have chicken stock.
Cut up the meat and set it aside. Search your fridge freezer for small wasted packets of veggies like peas and corn and stuff like broccoli or spinach you can dice up—I say wasted, because most freezers have packets that were opened that you didn’t use all of and it was too much to throw out. Set these aside. Even shriveled peas and such will reconstitute in what follows.
Now you take 1 cup per person of that stock, and put it in a smaller pot. Since I like Chinese, and this is going to turn out sort of like ramen, I add 1/4 tsp of Chinese Five-Spice in the bottom of the pot. You could add ginger, or pepper, or sriracha, or whatever. Put, oh, a third of the pile of meat (saving the rest for tomorrow) into the whole pot, pour in those veggies and bring it to a rolling violent boil.
Next take a sufficient amount per person of angel hair pasta (my favorite) or broad egg noodles or rice noodles or whatever you like, and break them up a little to fit the pot. Turn the fire off to stop the boil, but leave the pan on the burner as it cools down, for the time given on the noodle packet. 8 min for angel hair, 10-15 for spaghetti, and so on. If you want soft noodles, you might kick that temperature up to boil again halfway through the cook, then immediately turn the burner off and just let it sit.
Voila! ramen, chicken noodle, whatever. You’ve still got 2/3 of the chicken left, you’ve used up some veggies; and both the stock and the pasta mean you’re not going to be hungry for hours. I’m too lazy to sort this into a list of ingredients, so print it off and use a magic marker, eh?
Glad to see you back, was starting to worry. 🙂
CJ, I’ve noticed Egg Beaters–a carton of liquid egg whites with ingredients to simulate yolks–seems to be more available than actual eggs. I think Egg Beaters last longer, refrigerated, and they’re definitely less fragile.
Especially in your area, I’d go pure delivery, leave it on the doorstep, for the duration. Ignore any declarations that the situation is over before summer.
Outlying areas will be having logistical problems. Already some supplies, including medical supplies, have been stopped before reaching their intended destination. I think Spokane is probably going to be in pretty good shape, so close to the Seattle area’s harbor(s), and with a good governor.
Setting aside fantasies, this will take at least a couple of months to unwind, and it won’t be pretty.
Hm… simmering chicken stock plus Egg Beaters (or eggs whisked to a froth) equals egg drop soup!
for the rest of that chicken stock, search your freezer for a packet of broccoli and a packet of mixed veg. Use the stock to boil the broccoli and other vegetables to tenderness. Use an immersion blender (or I use an old fashioned potato masher) to pulverize the vegetables. Add a bit of flour and pepper in some milk, and once it begins to thicken, dump in a baggie of shredded cheddar cheese. Voila! Cheddar-broccoli soup, and it is also quite filling.
Add me to the roster of concerned people who are happy to hear from you again. Please be very cautious with yourselves.
I’d seen a neat egg drop soup recipe on YouTube. Might have been Chef John on Food Wishes. Might have been a more Asian source. Drat, now I don’t recall. Some chance I’d remember if I saw it again. It sounded good and looked simple, yet I haven’t tried fixing it yet. Seems like the principle was indeed hot water, chicken stock with some veggies diced and cooked to pieces, green onion diced and tossed in, eggs I think were beaten, then drizzled into the hot soup, to break into ribbons. Good thing I have eggs on the grocery list.
Also, I just watched a neat beef and cheese enchilada recipe from Simply Mama Cooks, which I think is also labeled Gochujang Cooking, but that’s not the name of the channel. Simple ingredients, and she used Knorr chicken bouillon cubes, but said (of course) people could use carton stock. Homemade would be good. As long as you have chili powder and cumin, I believe those were the only special spices. Personally, I’d add some onion and green onion, and possibly black olives, just because I like them. — I’ve never attempted to make enchiladas at home, or tamales. (There are good store-bought tamales from local state or city makers, but homemade would be neat to try in my new home, when/if it happens.)
Glad our favorite salads are still with us. I shopped groceries Tuesday in mask and disposable gloves as I am in the high risk group for three or four reasons. I was able to get most of the stuff I needed, except cottage cheese and sliced cheese. Our 24/7 stores have gone to 7am to 9pm after which they stock, and before which they “sanitize.” The at-risk population (elderly) are advised to go immediately they open. Kind of embarrassing as I’m used to shopping for the month when I go. I didn’t buy as much as I usually do because I didn’t want to seem like a hoarder, but that means I’ll just have to go again in two weeks, when the situation will probably be worse. Here in the flatlands of TX we had a university student who had been exposed but was not overtly sick, returned to the city, did not self-isolate, but went out to eat with their family in a restaurant, then later came down with COVID19. Highly publicized. People overreacted, of course. As we all know, you are contagious before you are actually sick. Otherwise, life for me hasn’t changed much. Being on the spectrum, I self-isolate pretty much as a lifestyle choice.
WOL, thank you for Poirot! (Click on WOL’s name to get to her blog. She has some great recommendations, including BBC’s Poirot.)
I’ll recommend that Gutenberg has Edgar Rice Burroughs. Setting Tarzan aside–good for the first six…novelettes?–John Carter of Mars is a nice 10(?) book series. He also wrote a few other random SF-ish books. So did Verne. All in plain text so they can be enlarged as needed. Tip: go to the HTML version, select all (ctrl-A), copy (ctrl-C), and paste (ctrl-P) into your favorite word processing program for full formatting instead of plain text.
WOL, if you have such risk factors, please go delivery-to-doorstep. Much safer, I think.
My experience with deliveries in the crisis, so far:
Costco: delays
Walmart: delays, but not a food order (might still be a good choice for you, BCS)
Smart & Final: tracking on schedule SO FAR. West Coast mostly–in Spokane, CJ, but $100 minimum for delivery if they follow the same rules as mine. An S&F Extra has more products. Careful: some things a one pound, some are 5 pounds–sizes vary a lot.
Oh, it’s so good to hear from you, CJ and Jane. — And hi, okietwister. I have cousins in Oklahoma still, in Norman and OKC and Duncan.
I’m mostly shut-in anyway, but Tue. and Wed., the county and city issued a Stay Home Work Safe order. Only essential services are going, everyone else is to stay home as much as possible. Therefore, closing on my new renovated house and all related activity (appliances, furniture, utilities, a new shed there, move-in from the apt. and storage space) are postponed until at least April 3rd, the nominal end of the shutdown. However, state, county, and city retain the option to change as needed. So I am here in my apt. for at least April. The earliest date for internet hookup was moved to April 24th, so if I do get to move in before then, you all may get a respite from me online until after then. Heh.
I am still fostering mama Peppercorn and her five unruly and wonderful kittens. I am keeping one of the kittens. Shelters (etc.) are also shut down, so they are staying withth me until the 3rd at least. My vet and the pet stores are still open. With luck, mama may fully wean her kittens after all, and get spayed. Mama is FIV-neg, and the kittens assumed so. Everyone has their first round of shots, and will almost be ready for the 2nd, booster, by the 3rd.
I do most of my shopping online. Kroger’s is still open locally for limited hours and doing curbside pickup or delivery via online shopping. Cool, as I shop by delivery anyway. I also use Amazon for some food and supplies and pet stuff. And Petco or Petsmart. They are open too, but again, mostly curbside pickup and deliveries to home.
Kroger’s still shows zero results for toilet paper, as if it doesn’t exist. haha. Ditto for rubbing alcohol. But they do have disposable gloves intermittently. (Amazon is a bit better on that, but out of isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol and toilet paper. Kroger’s is showing eggs and milk still available, and soft drinks and most food and perishable and non-perishable foods. Amazon is showing out of soft drinks. ( I haven’t checked if they still have Soda Stream or some more esoteric soft drinks available.) Amazon and Kroger’s are showing alcohol wipes, though.
I haven’t been able to locate toilet paper for almost two weeks now. I’m down to the roll in use, one spare, and one reserved for the new apt., which will go back to use here, if I run out. Hoping it will be back in stock before I run out. (There was discussion on the prior blog post (Frantic…) by CJ.)
CJ, in addition to your recipe, I have seen a few recipes for ramen on YouTube, rating from the quick and simple to the all-day cooking task traditional Japanese ways to fix the soup stock from chicken or pork, and the whole process for a ramen soup meal. Ah, there is also at least one in the style of ramen favored by Naruto, haha.
I have never dared try that, and my big pot for big liquid recipes is (I fervently hope) in storage. But the recipe you have, I could try, if I had a frozen or rotisserie chicken to use, or turkey. Even so, the other ingredients are workable, next grocery delivery, if I add a few.
I am still only partway through packing, and having trouble getting into high gear, despite how much I want to move. The shutdown may let me catch up, though. Heh.
— I have been listening to the audiobooks for the Chanur saga, and I’m currently in the last couple of chapters of Chanur’s Homecoming. The narrator doesn’t read the way I have always read it, in emotional tone or pronunciation, but this is making me concentrate and hear it in another light. I’m enjoying it either way. It’s been a long while since I last reread the books. I will likely start in on the Dreaming Tree once I’m done with the 5th Chanur book. These have been really great to listen to. It would be great if more of the classic backlist books were available in audiobooks from Audible and in ebook format.
I’ve been keeping up a running commentary on the kittens and the process for the new house.
CJ, if you ever have in mind to do more Chanur or Compact space books, I would love more hani, but I’d also be interested in what you’d do with, say, a mahen p.o.v. Short stories, maybe? The hani are so great, and there are so many things you could pick up and do something with, about the future of things in the Compact and in hani life.
Tonight, I noticed a detail I never really had picked up on much before: In Chanur’s Homecoming, just after Hilfy has the scene with Llun and others in station central, you have a bit where a shuttle launches from Anuurn’s surface with six or seven clans’ worth of women, men, boys, girls, from this small amphictiony downworld, apparently a smaller, brave, somewhat isolate or independent region. Pyanfar notes this precarious first step, how daring and risky it is for those clans, sending so many of their people into space with no ship set to take them, in the middle of a fight still ongoing in-system. This, and Handur clan, and some of the others mentioned as from other parts of the planet, might have some interesting stuff to explore, in how hani begin to put menfolk and minors into space on their ships, how hani society begins to change. Also, I’d noted that we get a reference to a very dark bronze, almost black hani, as well as red / copper and bronze. No paler colors than gold or red-gold, but possibly they have them. Basically, very leonine, maybe a little tiger or leopard or cougar for possible colors; and only gold, amber, bronze, a red-gold mentioned for eye colors, wavy or straight hair. So I wonder what kinds of hani there are and what cultural differences, since we get that there are some important differences across Anuurn.
Just, you know, on the off chance you ever write more of hani and the Compact.
Ahem, I’d be glad for any other follow-ups or for completely new stuff, and I’m much looking forward to the second book after Alliance Rising. For what it’s worth.
Hoping you both and all others here ae well and happy and loved and prosperous.
The cats, including Goober, are doing very well, thriving. I get reminded still of Curry, and I hope I’ll see Mystic again, but I think he’s off doing his own thing, so that my chance with him is doubtful.
Oh, and the kitten I’m keeping — is going by Dubhan now, still with his beige collar, about to be outgrown. He hasn’t named himself anything else yet, and Dubhan was a good suggestion. (I also liked Onyx and chondrite’s answer of One’ā when I asked about black lava sand.) So Dubhan he is, unless he names himself otherwise. — He keeps joining Goober and me on the bed. Goober is still not quite convinced, but may be coming around. I, however, know when I’ve been cat-adopted. Heh.
Alton Brown has had a couple of really fun, great “Quarantine Quitchen” videos from home, on his YouTube channel. Very funny, very smart, and you get to see his home personality as opposed to his public show personality. They overlap, but he is disarmingly real and down to earth at home. Plus, you get to meet his wife and their two dogs. Worth watching if you like his stuff and need a good chuckle.
THE PRIME MINISTER HAS IT, THE PRIME MINISTER ( That’s of the U.K. ) it’s just been announced has tested positive and is going to Self Isolate at No 10.
Forgive me for saying this but, Supposing Donald Trump got it as well ? I’m wondering if he would take his own advice, and dose himself with that Malaria Drug, he insisted was the answer to Americans problems. Call me a Cynic but I somehow doubt it.
This is the same Prime Minister who kept meeting people, shaking their hands, ignoring the chief medical officer’s advice and said you just have to wash you hands and you’ll not get it.
My part of the UK has been in near lockdown for two weeks now. Sigh. And I’d already finished my Cyteen re-read before that.
Hi all – this staying at home is a bad word bad word bad word – fill in as you will.
I you download from Project Gutenberg – or Gutenberg Canada – or Gutenberg Australia – or Faded Page, also from Canada – you can convert a file to a text file and then use your computer to put it into an mp3 file. Not the best narration but still very listenable.
I have even used it for a famous author to listen to her books in the car.
Stay sane everyone .
Jonathan up here in New Hampshire
Well, Hawaii’s quarantine has been extended to the end of April, after which we are tentatively having staff return to work behind closed doors, with reopening to the public a week later. Still no significant restocking of paper goods and cleaning supplies, although the barges are still running. I’m still half day MWF. there have been reports of closed libraries being broken into, and our mail delivery is still sporadic at best. I went down to the PO to collect boxes for the library that had never been delivered, nay, not even the peach slip asking us to pick up. And just in case, I made a batch of homemade soap.
BCS, provided you can get Peppercorn and the kits to the vet for their final shots, any chance the vets could get them moved on to a shelter?
Falls over laughing. Oh, believe me, I have tried, multiple times, the most diplomatic and pleading I could. “No sir, Mr. W., we don’t really take in cats or kittens and relocate them to shelters. You’ll have to…. Here’s a list of….” Darn it. It would have been a huge help, both for Curry and now for Peppercorn and her kittens, if they would have even bent their policy for an exception like me. But oh, no, heavens forfend, the sky might fall if they did that. Sigh. So I will still need to get Peppercorn and her kittens to a shelter, once the shelters are confirmed open again for intake.
Or else I could be, very much not planned to do so…stuck with mama and 5 adolescent kittens, permanently, with the strain on cat food and kitty litter that would bring. — If Peppercorn and Goober and the kittens could truly make friends, that would be one thing. If my budget could stand the strain, that would be another.
Eegads again; if our shutdown here is extended to the end of April (not unlikely, either, given what we’re now hearing and given the size of the city ) then…oh wow, cats for a full month more…. Iiiiiiiiiyyyyiiiiiii….
However, twice now, Goober and Peppercorn have been within inches or touching, without altercation. and several more times with Peppercorn trying to make up to him (or calling or beseeching or…something) and Goober chittering back, stuck between, “Eek, you were mean to me before, your kittens make me nervous, ew, you’ve got girl cooties, get away!” and “Well, I don’t know, you’re sort of almost being too nice yet kinda pushy with it, very forward, ah, you’re wanting to be a friend or…a girlfriend? Really? …I don’t know, er, um…maybe, I could get along with you, but I’m, er, oh, insecure about all this togetherness thing….” — Heaven help him, he really doesn’t know what to make of her, and I can’t tell if she’s wanting to make friends or push him further or if she’s desperately courting him as a female suitor of a male who, well, might be willing to, ah, except he’s neutered? Close enough to suit her, now, she thinks? I am not sure if Goober has much of any urgings that way. From what I’ve seen before, he seems sort of. confused on the issue of who is a suitable critter for his affections, or for their affections towards him. As in, he didn’t want Smokey being dominant and he likes me but not that way, but shows signs of some reaction, even so, when he’s really blissed out getting petted. I don’t think he knows quite what to make of Peppercorn, since she was so vehement enchasing him before. and now seems friendly in a pushy way.
That said, last night, she was calling and got so desperate with it, he got off the bed to go see if she was all right. Bless his furry little heart. Ah, but no romantically interlude ensued. She did quiet down a while, and I think he stayed near.
So it’s very possible she’s in heat, but her signs are otherwise inconclusive.
Goober still gets annoyed ahh the kittens getting too close or trying to play. But they mostly cool it and then lie down and hang out with him. He hasn’t tried to play with them that I know. I take the as because Mama was so mean about it before that he lost all patience and this from a very non-assertive cat. Also, yeah, he’s 13 years and 5 months now, plus 6 to 8 weeks or more when I got him. Still sporty and sharp-witted. I think he just feels overwhelmed. Yet several times in the past few days, he’s been OK to have the kittens sleep nearby on the bed, while at other times, he gets up and moves off. He has let Dubhan and at least one other kitten sleep right next to him two or threee times now.
So he’s doing better and she is and the kittens are somewhat The kittens are as normal, long nap after eating or else zooming around like crazy, playing, having fun, testing everything. Sill not on dry food enough.
All the kittens are now much better with me, almost but not quite fully trusting, just a bit shy of going all-out in playing with me, but liking attention, usually, petting or being picked up and held. Peppercorn is still not too happy being picked up and held, but is back to trusting me, except with the too-close underfoot thing and fussing at me still.
I’m getting more attached to them but have to remember they need homes and families.
Last night, Wizard, with the stars-and-moons collar, slept on the bed with me much of the night while I was awake, plus he’d been by the bed on some folded laundry the night before. He is the boy with undescended testicles. By now, I take it that they should have both dropped in, so there is something going on with his biochemistry or genetics to cause the delay. (His two brothers were right on schedule, already dropped by their first exam.) So, ah, he’s going to be a bit different than other male cats, growing up, not maturing as much. He has a very cute little trill when he wants to say something,, and a higher meow. The vet advised if he doesn’t finally drop both balls, he’ll need surgery for the one still internal, when he’s neutered. So…he’s a special case, not quite in between, but with a difficulty there, an immaturity or delay or some glitch preventing the usual development for boys.
I’m predisposed to like any kitty who’s a runt or misfit in some way, because I identify with that. Sympathy. Anyway, he’s welcome, they all are, while here. Dubhan was only briefly on the bed last night.
Still no sign of Mystic. I’m sorry not to get to see him. He may still be out there. I’ve tried calling. Nothing. So I don’t know; but I think I’ve lost my chance to take him in. He could still surprise me though. No telling.
That’s about all that’s going on today. I overslept and have no motivation to do anything today. I will likely make a stir-fry this weekend, maybe with the fish I have, once I’ve eaten the chicken tenders. Or they’ll end up in the stir-fry instead. I ran across a bottle of Yoshida’s brand teriyaki sauce in the pantry. I’ve never tried it, so got that brand to try. So likely it’ll go in the stir-fry.
Unless I decide to do something like the ramen recipe CJ had above, just no homemade chicken stock, since no carcass. — But I do have chicken stock, prepackaged little tubs about like coffee creamer size, only bigger. Thinking that would do fine, plus I have frozen or canned veggies, including small cans of peas and carrots, and sweet corn. Toss in a few more things, see if I have Chinese Five Spice powder still, or something else, and hmm, well, close enough. Heh. Got noodles. Might have udon or soba, I don’t recall. Do have spaghetti and (lol) tortellini. So…well, we’ll do something, anyway.
But I’m going to get groceries next week, or I’ll be out of too much. Still have a surplus of some things, but I may be able to use up enough by time to move.
egad, the idea of it going until the end of April! Well, what will be will be, but wow. Play it by ear, get moved when I can. Geez….
(I’m into Chanur’s Legacy, and have to look up the spelling for Syrsyn, a region with a small amphictiony which sent six or seven clans’ worth of hani men and boys, women and girls, up from Anuurn during the fight for Anuurn, and out of which, clan Meras and na Hallan Meras come. Should be in the first few pages of Chanur’s Legacy or the last chapter or Epilogue of Chanur’s Homecoming.
(Ker Hilfy is presently interviewing na Hallan, and just got the contract read for the oji.)
Expecting to catch up this weekend on packing, or get caught up by next week. — Cat litter still not out for delivery but the order placed after is due Sunday, so we may squeak by.
Note it’s now over 2 weeks since I first looked for toilet paper. Note Amazon is showing all popular sodas as out of stock. Who’d ‘a’ thunk?
—–
Featherless Gods, who’d break into and rob a Library? That be some twisted logic there. I mean, one presumes one would have to be literate to…. No, I guess they just think they can steal equipment, computers, I don’t know. It’s just…er, the books are free, all you have to do is sign up for a library card and check out a bunch of books. Free. For 2 weeks. You can gods-be renew, just take ’em back. I…. …Shaking my head….
OK, yes, I’m completely ignoring the point of someone who’d break in to steal from some public building. Got to be looking for things they can sell for cash quick. Just…breaking into a library takes a special kind of idiot.
Er, sorry, surely showing my own wacky biases and upbringing, to be morally outraged at someone doing that, or dismayed that anyone would want to. Er, one would think some other place would be more lucrative to a thief. Just…mind-boggling.
And OK some people might want to take all the bookssss, my precioussss, but Gollum aside, again, they’re FREE. You can check ’em out multiple times. (Though really, might wanna check out others in between, give other readers a chance. Or, y’know, if you really like a certain book, BUY it from the store.) Ye gads and little fishes….
—–
Ahem, sorry, mind boggled there. (Also boggled that you’d get no notice, the little peach postcard.) (For international folks: in the USA, if you have an item awaiting pickup or missed delivery from the Post Office, they send you a peach-colored postcard, attached to your door or into your mailbox, to sign for or come pick up the item, whether regular mail or registered or certified or otherwise requiring signature.)
Huh. I can’t believe I guessed the spelling right. it must be somewhere in deep memory, but I wouldn’t have expected that: Syrsyn Amphictiony for where na Hallan Meras comes from.
Ducky has outgrown his one-of-a-kind (I couldn’t find another) “rubber ducky on water-blue” kitten-sized collar, which was either from Amazon somewhere or Petco. Pinky outgrew hers a week or so back. She’s the one who kept trying to wear a collar as a shoulder holster, who must want a place in security. Heh. Yes, I’d adjusted her collars each time, so they wouldn’t have so much wiggle room. She hasn’t had a problem since the change. Hopefully Ducky won’t.
Ducky’s kitten collar is too bedraggled and stretched to keep. The design was cute; I don’t recall the maker.
The other threee are still in their kitten-sized collars, but will be outgrowing them very soon. I will be glad for Unicorn to get a new collar. Hers still has a funny plastic artificial smell, but the design was cute on it too. I haven’t found another Unicorn collar for her in cat size, so she’ll need something else.
Wizard, with the stars-and-moons collar, can get a full cat-sized collar of a similar type when he outgrows his kitten collar, and it’s still in OK condition, so I may hang onto it for a memento and for future use. Gosh, I like that, but it’s black, so not quite idea for a black kitty. (The adult collars I’ve seen have navy or dark green or red or black backgrounds, and one in dark purple. Purple might suit him, or red or deep green.
Beige boy, Duvhan, will get a brown or tan collar when it arrives, or a pattered green and brown collar. Pattern or tartan plaid or leopard spots, I think it was.
I will get Unicorn a plain collar, lily, but we already have pink and green and the beige. I will find something. She’s the Springer girl, so something girly but tough would suit her.
But, BCS, you have–not meaning anything negative–an unusual lifestyle. I think a lot of people are pretty frustrated with the disruption of their normal lives. I might have used the library more if it were more convenient. The Great Library Robbery might just be people bored out of their minds looking for something to read. Think about what a party-animal type is going through now.
This whole do-everything-by-delivery lifestyle is a shock for many of us, myself included. I’m not highly social, but I’m used to seeing what I’m buying. Most of my groceries were from Trader Joe’s, which I think I now have to warn against: they don’t seem to have their act together on contamination control. This is a case where good and friendly intentions don’t compensate for lack of rigorous procedures and controls.
Soft drinks: you know, the carbonation itself is one of the negatives of soft drinks. It’s not just the sugar. Ice tea? Hot tea? Coffee? I’ve tentatively listed apple juice for my next grocery order, but it’s a little too sweet; maybe I’ll water it down. I have seen reports of orange juice shortages, but I haven’t checked.
The math for infections isn’t too hard. I’m by no means qualified, but also no one has time to gather statistics at this point in the crisis, so a SWAG is about all anyone has. I think, we’ll see increased infections through April, saturating the population; it may take longer to hit the ends of the transportation web. May will be “filling in the corners” and we may start seeing herd immunity. Deplorably, we have not “flattened the curve” near enough to avoid extreme medical conditions.
(Hawaii is isolated enough, nothing I said applies to it. I haven’t looked at Hawaii’s numbers. I was speaking about CONUS.)
@Walt, I used to drink a lot of fruit juice, and started diluting it half-and-half with water, to lessen my (fruit)sugar intake calories. That was easy to get used to, and now I strongly prefer the less sweet, more refreshing taste of the half-and-half.
If you drink those sweet, fruit-flavored yoghurt drinks, you can cut those calories in half just as easily, by mixing them half-and-half with buttermilk.
Cutting my liquid calories in half, without resorting to artificial sweeteners, lessening my intake of liquids, or needing to change to stuff I don’t like was very good for me; though nowadays I mostly drink water.
@Chondrite, were the burglars after the computers?
With lots of people, both grownups and kids, needing to work from home and do online schooling from home at the same time, I’d think that some families suddenly have an urgenr need for an (extra) computer; and with most computers producrd in China and that area, there’s a fair chance that Covid-19 shutdowns are going to impact production. Maybe those thieves think they’d find a lot of buyers for secondhand PCs in good condition?
Or maybe just bored hooligans, as Walt said.
So buttermilk is calorie-free. I had no idea.
I’ve done the 50% cut of apple juice. That works well.
Smart & Easy, at least in my area, uses Shipt. Shipt service resembles a very similar word. It’s supposed to be a shopping and delivery service.
I suspect what’s going on is, like a doctor’s appointment, they run later and later as the day goes by. Live and learn.
I asked for, and they agreed to, 4-5pm.
4:02pm: a text saying they were delayed to 5-6; fine.
6:00pm: they didn’t show. I called Shipt who hung up on me after 40 minutes of the most annoying possible wait music–they’re in Alabama, so that’s past 9:40pm.
6:46pm: text saying they were delayed until 7-8.
7:00pm: I got a message at saying “my Shipt shopper” was starting shopping. For just me or some number of people, I don’t know; I assume the latter.
7:??pm: I look out to check. Nothing. A car pulls up to the stop sign; the driver gives a dry cough (eek!) and continues.
8:00pm: ???
9:08pm: me: “ETA?” No answer.
Well past mdnight: I give up. Shipt grade: F-
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I don’t need an extra computer. I find the computer I bought about 6 years ago is seemingly still good, considering the end of Moore’s Law. The limit of chip downsizing has been reached, so until I need some new feature–an AI processing unit?–I’m good.
I’m thinking about an extra phone, though, after that long wait on hold.
@Walt, I didn’t intend to mislead you: buttermilk is not completely calory-free, but it is sugar-free. It does have some protein, also calcium and such. According to my dietist at the time, it had less than half the calories of the sweetened fruity yoghurt drinks, but those were from good things like the protein, and none of the ’empty’ sugar calories that made the yoghurt drink less healthy.
Hanneke: Buttermilk is, too me, a seasonal (winter) and local (Southern) drink. I’m not sure I’ve ever had it. Living in Southern California, it’s not very popular. (As you probably know, US “Southern” means southeastern only. East Texas has some Southern influences, but I’ll let BCS comment on whether he thinks Texas is Southern.)
Walt, I grew up in Port Arthur, TX and there is no doubt in my mind that East Texas all the way to Houston is The South, but by the time you get to Austin and central Texas it’s not the South any more. I’m not exactly sure where the transition is but I’d guess around the west side of Houston.
And Port Arthur was culturally southwest Louisiana – strong Cajun french influence. My favorite food growing up was shrimp gumbo.
Howdy, Teegan, former(?) neighbor, close enough. 🙂 — I’d say it’s a gradient. As you go east to west, the whole of Texas goes from Deep South and Southwestern to Very Southwestern. I’d also say there’s some Louisiana Cajun and Creole influence all along the Texas Gulf Coast, not just Port Arther, especially after Katrina sent so many Louisiana folks here as refugees who settled and stayed. But yes, I also grew up with, every summer when my folks took us on family vacations to see relatives, we’d go through Louisiana on the way to Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Some of the best catfish and fries I’ve ever had was on one late night trip heading back to Houston, where we stopped at a little side-of-the-highway diner in some small town in Louisiana. Simple, homestyle, good food, fresh and tasty and very, very welcome. So yeah, things like étoufée and gumbo and plain old catfish and fries, as well as BBQ, and Tex-Mex, I grew up with those right along with more traditionally Southern and American cooking. Some “soul food” too, I think. That’s one thing about coastal Texas and yes, East Texas, at least. We get those other influences, we’re used to that from travel and trade and people who’ve moved in for generations.
To Walt’s point: My parents and grandparents (both sides) loved buttermilk now and then; not constantly, but often enough. I never had a taste for it as a kid (just seemed like sour milk to me, honestly, though I know it’s not). I suspect younger folks drink less buttermilk and use it more for cooking. But yes, I’d say it’s a more “Southern” thing. I don’t know, though. Midwesterners and New Englanders may have moe of a taste for it. It’s been ages since I tried it. I might think differently of the taste now.
But also, caveat, since my dad’s family and my mom’s mom’s family were farmers, they knew and had hand-made things like butter, cream, Sauerkraut, chow-chow, home-canned foods. My dad could consistently fluster most pioneer / historical site tour guides by knowing exactly what the old tools and gadgets were for, barn and horse and cattle, kitchen and smokehouse and springhouse, and farming tools — because they still used those as late as the 1950’s, as old-fashioned hand tools, non-electric, and certainly when he’d been a kid in the 30’s and 40’s. Most of those were not much changed from their equivalents in the 1700’s and 1800’s. Heck, my dad put in electricity and I think indoor plumbing, for my grandparents’ farm, when he got back from the Army in the 1950’s. (Grandpa and Grandma seldom used or trusted the electric lights, but liked the refrigerator and sink and hot water, certainly. Word was, my dad would catch my grandparents guiltily turning off lights, when he and my mom and I were back to visit when I was little.)
@Walt — Aaïïee! Kroger’s in my area also uses Shipt for deliveries, and how that works between the two companies and the driver, I’m not sure of. But drivers have said that Kroger’s won’t let them pick up for more than 2 delivery customers at a time. Plus traffic delays or in-store delays. I think, not sure, that Kroger’s staffers collect the orders, they’re checked out, and handed off to the Shipt drivers, rather than the Shipt driver doing the shopping. But, for instance, I had one driver late because she had two deliveries, then had to go back for mine. That was her claim. I have had such deliveries late by an hour to an hour and a half, but nothing like your horror story. Oh my gosh, sorry. If that is a sign of what I could be in for, for my upcoming grocery order, plus unknown what might or mightt not be in stock at the time of order fulfillment…. Yee-ouch. So I appreciate the forewarning very much. I sure hope you have better luck next time. Note, I typically schedule for either 11am to noon, or noon to 1pm, occasionally earlier or later. I have also had deliveries delayed by traffic as much as 30 min to an hour or just over, but hey, in my city, that is plausible.
I am determined to use up the Yesterday’s News litter I have left. Had to change it out today, too fouled to be believed, poor cats. And was surprised: they had done their business just outside the box, orderly and tried to cover it, mannerly as could be. AFAIK, no random messes elsewhere, though I’ll look in the morning. I am amazed that mama and kittens could be that neat and considerate, when they could just as easily have gone to Smokey’s recurring bad habit, which, notably, Goober doesn’t do. He also is neat about it, just outside the box if he thinks it’s too gross in there.
Hah, the small order, just enough for a tray-full each, arrived a day early. Hurray. But the orders from Amazon and Petco, one is now supposed to arrive a day earlier, April 2nd, and the other, maybe by Tuesday, it’s off-schedule and late. I will sure need the one from Petco: I gave up and ordered TWO pails at once. IF the order arrives safely to my door, I will schedule repeat delivery with them rather than Amazon.
Cat food is due before April 3rd, Amazon Pantry. Note: I had scheduled Kleenex too soon, but since there’s still no toilet paper available, I could be very glad of the extra Kleenex before the end of next month. IIIYYYAAII. (I am doing fine with what I have left, so far.)
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Juices: — If you have celery or apples or oranges, and a blender, immersion or pitcher style, you could supplement / extend your apple juice. I believe V-8 is mostly tomato, celery, carrot, and whatever else, juiced down. (I don’t have a juicer.) Ah, a strainer / collander might be wanted, or keep the pulp in the drink. But I’d save the pulp for soup / cooking stock.
I have 3 bell peppers on hand, no celery or lettuce right now, and I may be low on canned tomatoes; OK on tomato paste, though. I do have frozen mirepoix (celery, onion, bell pepper, diced) which is available from your grocery store, bagged nicely. Handy. So is gumbo or soup mix or mixed veggies. You can get small or large cans of corn or of peas or peas and carrots, not too bad a price, and the canned will keep, of course.
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Question: I had found, lurking in my pantry, 3 packets of (liquid) Campbell’s skillet sauces. These are around 3 to 4 months old, at a guess. I don’t find an expiration date. Any idea if they are safe to use? I would assume up to a year would be OK. The heavy-gauge plastic is sealed fine, so it’s essentially like a jar or can. Any guesses? Am I missing seeing an expiration date? Thanks, all. (I’m anticipating using these.)
Heh, I may end up using up surplus and seldom-used items, if this continues past the 3rd. Ack, I want to be packed and move in to my new house. Wow, this is weird.
I would expect the pouches are safe if they aren’t bulging weirdly (from bacterial action) and they smell okay.
If I try that again, I may just use the closest grocery.
I’m definitely outside the norm in being so used to being stuck inside, but I do chafe at the lack of social outlets, which is one reason I post here online a lot. It means I’m less prone to catch something, but it also means I’m more out of touch and less in contact with others to build up immunity to whatever’s going around, such as the current pandemic.
I’m not as impacted as most people, but I don’t count that a plus. I envy others that chance to go out and do things when they want, such as driving without planning ahead.
I’ve gotten lazy about cooking lately, but I may have to, to make use of things as this continues, or for sure if it extends into all of April. (That thought still has me thrown for a loop.)
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Juices and alternatives — You might want to buy old-fashioned V-8 juice. This is pretty healthy, more straightforward than their V-8 Fusion line of blends, and V-8 can make a good, flavorful addition to recipes. — That said, I have fallen down on buying it recently. I had better check the bottle in the fridge, but I think I have an unopened bottle. May need to buy some. — Apple juice is good, but ah, better in smaller doses. If you get too much you may need to go too often, the runs. (Sorry, but true.)
Other juices or blends work well. Hanneke’s right, but I tend not to go half-and-half with water.
I still haven’t looked for that stuffed bell peppers recipe, so if Cathy in PA or others have a good one, go for it. — Oh, and my website is still down, I haven’t gotten back to that yet after the botched transfer. Will need to get those done.
So far, my local Kroger’s is showing most things available for delivery. I’ll find out next week when I order, and will report if anything major is out.
Dang, what spices do I have on-hand? — And also dang, I may need to buy a big casserole dish after all. All I have here (not in storage) is a medium to largish Pyrex / Corningware clear bowl with plastic cover. Can’t put that plastic in the over, no sir, no ma’am.
Man, is my Walmart website registration still active? Unlikely. Walt, thanks. But I would recommend other stores for any fresh food, meat, etc., rather than Walmart.
It’s been forever since I last bought evaporated / condensed milk or powdered milk. Just in case things get really more freaky than they are already, any good recommendations there, how to use and keep it fresh?
I sometimes get Velveeta sauce pouches to add to Mac and cheese, because I like it cheesier. I have not tried the bulk powdered cheese for cheese sauce, to which you add butter / oil, milk, and water. — But I have discovered over the last few years that staples like rice and noodles really help extend things, if you don’t mind the extra carbs.
No good solid advice or extra recipes at the moment. If/when I get my websites back up and running, I will let folks know. If I get time in between packing, etc., updating the recipe trove there is a good idea.
While I”m thinking about it, going to check what spices I have on hand.
CJ, Glad to hear you and Jane are weathering the corona storm. I went grocery shopping on Tuesday, but was deeply disappointed. No fresh meat, no fresh produce, very little in the way of bread but they did have eggs and milk (which I didn’t need-I left them for WIC recipients).
If you have frozen hamburger patties, you can make soup using a patty in the same way that you used the chicken. You can have beef, vegetable, and noodle soup. My favorite recipe though is a butter-noodle based concoction. Cook a hamburger patty or brown slices of bacon until you can crumble it. Melt a tablespoon of butter with diced onion in it, until the butter starts to brown and the onions turn transparent. Add crumbled meat into the butter, then add your orphan vegetables finely diced. Add condensed cream of mushroom soup. Add spices to taste. I like salt, pepper, and parsley. If the sauce is too thick, add sour cream or milk or water to thin. You might also add cottage cheese if it is orphan. Heat until warmed throughServe the mixture over any type of pasta or noodles
I believe a lot of people may be going back to the style of cooking they practiced in college, the “It’s three days till paycheck and what’s left in the fridge/pantry?” variety.
CJ, Glad to hear you and Jane are weathering the corona storm. I went grocery shopping on Tuesday, but was deeply disappointed. No fresh meat, no fresh produce except packaged salads, very little in the way of bread but they did have eggs and milk (which I didn’t need-I left them for WIC recipients).
ReadyGuy and I are self-isolating, although he goes out driving every few days just to get the yips out of his system. Not many people here are taking corona virus seriously. (Only two cases in a county the size of Rhode Island), but I know it is coming. Our governor has proclaimed a health emergency in AZ (Phoenix hard hit, as well as the reservations in northern AZ). My GP and I did the first telehealth conference from his practice this afternoon.
Thank goodness many stores here were already set up with curb-side pick-up. Although restaurants can’t open their dining rooms, most have added curb-side pickup, and about half have delivery. Most of the restaurants are fast-food, but there is enough diversity that you could have food from a different restaurant every day for more than a month.
If you have frozen hamburger patties, you can make soup using a patty in the same way that you used the chicken. You can have beef, vegetable, and noodle soup or a mock stroganoff. My favorite recipe is a butter-noodle based concoction. Cook a hamburger patty or brown slices of bacon until you can crumble it. Melt a tablespoon of butter (substitute leftover bacon grease if you have it) with diced onion in it, until the butter starts to brown and the onions turn transparent. Add crumbled meat into the butter, then add your orphan vegetables finely diced. Add condensed cream of mushroom soup. Add spices to taste. I like salt, pepper, and parsley. If the sauce is too thick, add sour cream or milk or water to thin. You might also add cottage cheese if it is orphan. Heat until sauce is warmed through. Serve the mixture over any type of pasta or noodles.
I was delighted to see your update today, CJ, waving to Jane too. These are indeed unusual times. Shortages here are extreme in some areas and downright weird in others. Butcher shop out in the country using local meat sources, has plenty, and eggs. Other things: Flour, yeast, cleaning supplies etc. are out and not expected in for a very long time. Just in time inventory, nothing stocked, and in reality most online ordering through Walmart, Target, even department stores has turned out to be a short term blessing and convenience, especially for those of us with disabilities. Long term, without constant deliveries to THEIR warehouses, hmmm … not so blessed after all.
We are in decent supply at home, and have been pretty isolated for more than a few weeks now. Getting my husband’s prescriptions filled was a 4 day challenge though. Comedy of errors and phone calls between him, pharmacy owned by our friend Ed who always goes the extra mile for all his customers, and the cardiologist’s office. I wrapped him up to get the curbside delivery so tight any other day he’d probably get arrested … the last outside layer to his 4 layer mask was a cut piece of flannel sheet, ugliest sheet I was ever given, orange plaid, with dogs all over LOL. Ed dropped the meds on the car hood and lingered to chat over the car hood; likely that did both of them more good than the meds will. Here in a small town 2 hours from NYC, social distancing is really difficult, and many are still not taking adequate precautions, sadly.
Our family so far is all doing okay, with no one sick. We are all more than an hour away from each other, with most 2 – 4 hours away including the infamous grandson. We are forbidden to go there, as his dad is a paramedic. My librarian daughter is working from home, and researching mask technology. She set up shop today, to continue over the weekend, to construct masks. Her husband has some, but his firemen have NONE, and his National Park Service law enforcement friends nearby have none. Not medical grade, but a way step up from a bandana around the face, one hopes at least.
The biggest excitement there, for a little lighter humor: Ruby the Muscovey duck, flew up and out of her enclosure, and went for a walk across the fields; no one had any idea she could fly up over 8′! Spot, her husband, fearing abandonment and divorce, kicked up a very loud alert for the household and farther. As he’s usually very quiet (being a very calm, laid back Muscovey), this raised alarms from a Boy, the little LOUD rescued dog, the hound dog chiming in with howls, and … and …. off they all went across the field. No humans around, but surely some quarantined neighbors at the windows 🙂 Ruby was tracked down, looked happy to see them, and happily joined them all for a walk back home again. Fast forward 3 days, and that little terrier dog chased the groundhog into the rain runoff pipe, where it hid. She camped out on high alert by the tunnel for 3 hours, till my daughter made her come in. Last I heard, she was still sulking, and running from doors to windows and back, frantically barking, and barking, and barking … the shrillest bark you have ever heard. The Boy gets a brand new, school issued iPad Monday, loaded and ready. His reaction: iPad good! School BAD. Meanwhile he’s been busy chasing ducks, bike and walks, and taking apart his arsenal of Nerf rifles to augment the ammunition. The photo I got was the desk, magnifiying light, the cutting mat filled with screwdrivers and little parts, and the phone conversation went “Yeah, I couldn’t put it back together, exactly … I guess that’s why it didn’t come with that ammo cartridge” Oh, to be 12 again … er, maybe not.
BCS, Maybe try some other kindly vets? I’ve been reading adoptions are UP, as people have more time at home, adding a pet to their household. The smaller, and cuter the kittens are, the easier it will be to get them adopted out. Money’s tight everywhere especially now, but I wonder if you left a note for Jose? … Peppercorn’s original owner, and offered to PAY him a few dollars here and there, if he might not at least run over to the office to get your delivery etc. on occasion? Money is a powerful motivator; probably wouldn’t take much as he’s a teen? Just an idea. After all, you’ve saved them a lot of money on cat stuff …
One more idea. I hesitate to suggest ideas, as you’ve probably tried them all … but are you in touch with a local Blind/Limited Vision association. Most cities, communities have such, and they might be able to suggest more resources for you, from transportation to shopping online etc.? My cousin, who has been gone now for about 8 years, was born blind, and later developed a serious seizure disorder, leaving him very challenged. His parents, living in Philadelphia, and his 5 siblings, had no extra money to spare. The Blind Association was a tremendous resource for them, even organizing free trips to National League baseball games. Not money, but definitely in finding doctors, activities, transportation, school when he was younger etc.
Cooking, ah, cooking. That “ramen” noodle soup sounds good, CJ! I have a nice whole chicken in the freezer; that, an onion and a BIG handful of garlic and fresh ginger may go in a pot tomorrow. We’re trying to decide on dinner these days based on what’s going to spoil soonest, rather than what we “feel like” having tonight. More the way it should be, really. Hubby does most of the cooking due to my hands and back; he does a lot of things very nicely, but the scope of his menu is limited :). He’s also dyslexic, so reading a cookbook is more difficult, as is following directions …. that’s led to some interesting surprises!
As always I am grateful to read everyone’s posts, and wish you all safety and wellness.
I talked to a few vet clinics when I was trying to get Curry adopted. Maybe it’s because it’s a big city. Maybe it’s worry they’ll either get sued or get saddled with a problem and no pay. But they all wanted to steer me to find a shelter for Curry as a semi-feral cat, and it was the same if it was a tame stray or kittens. Never mind I’m legally blind and getting transportation can be an issue, they none of them would do a pickup from a private residence, either home or apartment; you bring the animals to, not them, but an area shelter. It left me very frustrated. So when intake is going again, Mama Peppercorn and kittens will need to go to Special Pals or CAP, as the best options I could find. Petco here was the same, they don’t want to take in kittens or mama cats, they work with shelters. I expect the same for Petsmart. I feel stymied. The kittens are now 11 to 12 weeks old, and that’ll be 4 months and a week, I think, by the end of April, if the lockdown is extended. The kittens will be due for their 2nd booster vaccination in April; the week after the 3rd, if I’m still tracking right. Mama has still(!) not entirely weaned them, but is more serious about it, so I am hoping it’ll be soon, so she can be spayed without the kittens stressing the incision after, which is why we’re waiting on it.
Only Unicorn / Springer has the (should be trainable, correctable) behavior problem, still wanting to climb / jump / grab an ankle at feeding time. (“Hurry up, human, we’re hungry!”) I _think_ I’m slowly getting through to her, but she’s not cured of it yet. She also has one of the loudest, most frequent purrs I’ve heard. As long as a prospective adopter knows about her habit, so someone doesn’t get upset and give her back, I think she’ll be a really good cat for someone, more likely a responsible kid/teen or young adult, or a patient older adult who can deal with that if the habit crops up again.
The other kittens are all well behaved, no particular bad habits, and getting way more used to being with humans and liking it.
I’m up, can’t get to sleep, and Little Mama calls now and again. A prospective owner would need to know she can be aggressive when she feels threatened. But she mostly is a calm, happy housecat and is liking more attention. When I checked outside this afternoon for packages, in case the cat litter had arrived (nope, still shows in transit) she had chances to get out either door, but hah, she didn’t budge. She _likes_ this indoor housecat gig. 😀 Good food, cozy places to sleep, a kind human, even if he does seem to get underfoot, from her point of view. 😉 Her babies (nearly teens now) are well taken care of, there’s an oddly unassertive old gentleman cat — she likes this. So I think someone who went into it knowing her temperament would have a very good pet, and maybe the aggression could be toned down with some training. (I would like to think she’s toning down a little with me, but I think I’m just telling myself that.) I really like her, but the frequent wariness, instead of moving around at will for me, has made me think she’d be better off with someone else, as much as I do like her and she is happy here.
Dubhan (Beige Boy) and Wizard spent a few minutes on my lap just now. Wizard has been hanging out with me more, and Dubhan has been doing his own thing and then hanging out with me.
Pinky and Ducky are mostly doing their own thing, and Ducky seems to hang back more, while Pinky is the shoulder holster girl. Heh.
At the end of April, it will be 13-1/2 years since I got Goober. He’s doing some better with this, still not fully integrated with mama and kittens, but he’s tolerating them more, and they seem to be trying to have a relationship with him more.
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I have let a couple of items of mail sit. I need to be sure I will still have the appt. with the SSA in late April or early May, which was not yet set up confirmed, before everything went off the rails. But I do have documentation from the eye doctor stating yes, I’m legally blind, long-term condition. So we have a start. — The local place for blind and vision-impaired folks is the Lighthouse of Houston ( houstonlighthouse.org ). They are a volunteer non-profit, one of the oldest of the Lighthouses, and date back to when I was a kid or before I was born. — The eye doctor was going to put me in touch with someone there, a social worker, I think, but they were busy when I was in. — I am not too sure how their programs work, as I’ve had conflicting answers before. — When I was a teen, 15 or 16 over one or the other summer, I was one of a handful of kids in their first computer camp. This was great, as back then, I hadn’t been on a computer except for some odd experimental teletype math drills they did with the kids in junior high. In that camp, we used then-current Apple II+ computers. My high school, in my senior year, had our first computer class with (gasp) Commodore 64’s and TRS-80’s, ten each in two different classrooms, with the teacher learning the night before he taught us. (Hah, it was something, all right.) — Of the kids in that computer camp, I may be the only one left. At least two of the boys had health complications besides being blind or legally blind, and I learned a few years ago, another one of the boys, who had become a local jazz musician and activist, had been killed in some altercation. I don’t know about the other boy or the two girls. None of us kept up after the camp.
So, they may have some things available, but my experience as an adult, the past few years, has had contradictory responses. The eye clinic setup seems to be doing better now than last time. Yes, part of this is on me, getting back into things. So things may start to work out better.
I am still hopeful that if I can get the cataract surgery at least for my better eye, that I may be back to my former level of vision. With that, I could be a lot more mobile and more able to manage for myself, more self-supporting and able. — Er, I am still a work in progress, with areas where I am not as with it as I should be, and others where I do fine. I am a perfectionist, and I get frustrated with myself too. Plus things do get me down too often, but I live with that and I think I’m doing a little better than I had been.
It looks like my possible new house is postponed until after April 3rd, when the shutdown may lift; provided the city, county, and state don’t move that forward to the end of April, as Walt said. The earliest date after, for internet and security and cable hookup was April 24th. So depending on how fast we can get everything done and then get me moved in, I may be offline for a couple of weeks or so. If the shutdown gets extended to the end of April, then…who knows. I am still lagging on packing, but I hope to get myself caught up and done before April 3rd, or as soon after as possible. Gas hookup was rescheduled to the Thursday after, so…well, we’ll see.
At this point, as long as I get to move in and can ride out the tight budget after and still keep the house, well, if it can happen, I’ll be amazed and very, very glad. I am still nervous about it. My friend still says it’s doable and will help with things.
Hmm… I may have to try putting a note on that neighbor’s door. I haven’t seen them since José said I could foster mama and kittens, weeks ago, and I just saw him twice. I had tried to make it obvious I was available, for about a week after that, in case they decided to come by to meet me or visit. I’d given my numbers and the vet’s. I was lucky to get his family’s last name and apartment number, but that was only because I made a point of asking him. Whether it was age or general reluctance / wariness, I don’t know. I had to get him to repeat the last name and spell it, because he went quiet about it, because “It’s Spanish, it’s hard o say/spell.” Which meant he may not have read the note I wrote, in Spanish and English. :-/ (The name is an old spelling, somewhat uncommon, but ordinary.) In trying to get him to tell me and then spell it, since I had trouble telling what he’d said, I mispronounced it, even though it’s not hard to say when you know Spanish. Heck, most of Spanish pronunciation is not hard, with a few things English does not do, especially their b/v, d, g sounds. I tend to trip over the RR, but am fine with the single R. I’m not sure if he’s old enough to drive, but I may try asking if he’d pick up packages. My friend still hasn’t been by, and I’ve reminded him several times. It gets old.
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LOL, the bit with the grandson reminds me of a former church friend’s grandson. Back then, before I knew them, when he was between 10 and 12, his grandma said he had carefully disassembled a portable radio and tried to put it back together. Well, he couldn’t quite do it, but he gave it a very good try. Smart kid. When I knew him, he was a young teen through close to graduation. They moved then, after his granddad died. (The grandparents and single mom and kids lived together, single household.) He is somewhere around 30, plus or minus, now. Man, time flies.
Orange plaid with dogs all over, huh? So your husband was making a bold fashion statement in face mask wear. Hahah. Hey, if it works, it works.
The ducks — So Mrs. Duck wanted Mr. Duck to take her out more often, dinner / lunch date or countryside vacation? Hmm, maybe she saw those blue swim flippers and wanted a pair.
The terrier’s doing a great job being a terrier, just what he was bred for. Doubtless the groundhog was not impressed.
Take care up thee.
Great images & story, Cathy—Ruby the Fly-Away Duck would make a great children’s book!
@BCS, @all pet owners: CNN Mobile headline in business, “Americans are panic-buying food for their pets”. Or maybe they will be, considering the article.
@BCS, “I think, we’ll see increased infections through April…” Then we’ll have to see the infections decrease until they get down to a safe level. I’m seeing a lot of April/May estimates, but that somewhat assumes a pretty dire spring. I’m concerned (and I’m no expert) that as infections ripple out from US cities to rural areas, emergency and infectious patients will flow back to cities and restart a new wave of infection.
As far as a dire spring, most areas just don’t have the hospital beds and ventilators. NYC is being overwhelmed. The NY governor has estimated 3 weeks to peak. Then it has to come down. Chicago and NOLA (New Orleans, Louisiana) are also hot spots. Health Director Barbara Ferrer…expects to see case counts in Los Angeles double every four days for the next two to three weeks. USNS Mercy is in an LA Harbor, but it’s “only” 1000 beds; a cousin is a nurse at UCLA Medical Center, God protect her, around 500 beds.
A little research of Shipt shows 1.8/5 rating. They’re owned by Target, but apparently Target doesn’t trust them enough to brand them as Target.
Just a general report-in. All spring so far I’ve been doing a lot of not much. Adjusting to Ozempic (new diabetes med) has left me with little energy and no appetite. Since I learned to cook in family-sized portions I have a whole deep freeze and pantry jammed with food. I stay home and read, or watch the tube, with Miss Thistle napping in my lap. All of this pandemic has meant that instead of being a slug-ly couch potato I am a responsible socially-distanced citizen. The only real variation to my routine is I amble across to the communal mail boxes and wipe them down with bleach solution.
It’s after 1:30am here. Late evening, there was an argument between a young woman and some man she knew (spouse, boyfriend, relative, friend, no idea). I didn’t (thankfully) hear most of it, but her two (or more?) young kids were out there during. Very heated, and she was distraught, and I think somehow taken advantage of; money, I think. Didn’t hear any hitting. I don’t know her name, but one of the nearby neighbors, and though I don’t know the two kids on sight, I’ve heard them and their names enough to know that if I heard them in person, in sight of them, I’d probably know them and their mom. Not sure who’s the dad or how in the picture he is. But I’ve heard a couple of guys around here who are friendly and may have kids of their own, playmates and friends for the young woman’s two. (And the very little girl is, whew, alternately headstrong and very bratty/spoiled, a real challenge for any parent…and so vocal that the little girl grates on my nerves at times, which I tell myself to ignore, because she’s so young and I know enough to know that raising a child is a HUGE challenge for even the best, most patient, most clever people.)
So, just now, I heard something from my kitchen and thought at first one of the kittens was into something. Except then there were loud noises upstairs, then all through the place upstairs. Just as that was quietening down, and I’d gone into the hallway, wondering if the cats were into something besides what was upstairs — argument, loud, but just far enough away to not hear all of it. Only that I think it’s the same young woman, and presumably her boyfriend or husband, very bad argument. This happens periodically. Budget, marital problems, friendship problems, heck, I don’t know. And since I could hear that, I know the neighbors around here could too, and the young woman’s two or more young kids.
How much is whose fault? What’s it all about>? Multiple issues? I don’t know. Ongoing and serious, I do know. If they are together, maybe they need to be separated, divorced, and settle it by distance from each other. If that’s an ex, damn, stay ex, keep distance, except for visitation. Maybe have someone mediate visitation, if that’s part of it. Of course, I don’t know enough to know if the young woman has some fault in it too, or if she’s mostly in the right in this.
And — dang it, that troublesome little girl and her big brother who’s not yet a teen — Must have to live with all that close up, as often as it rear its ugly head. The mom and whoever else seem to be very lenient with the kids. The little girl’s outbursts are frequent. Not being a parent, I can’t guess if it’s bad parenting or just the little girl’s personality. The other day, she fussed at her kids, at the limit of her temper, because they were misbehaving badly.
Why say any of that here? — Oh, do I want out and away from this. I was awake anyway, but the cats were finally asleep and I was maybe about where I could get to sleep, maybe until morning. (My sleep/wake cycle is _always_ out of whack.) — I need to get done with packing and will have to get groceries before my move, if it happens after the 3rd, more like after the 9th, best current guess. I think the new house may not be perfect, I am not sure of how that will be. But at least I won’t have neighbors right over my head where I sometimes wonder if the ceiling might cave through from the roughhousing, whatever it is. (Mostly kids playing too hard, I think.) And the noise of various kinds, including the wee hours of the night/morning. Being free of this, where if there’s some commotion, it’s only me or my cats, or in someone else’s yard and house…. I want a real home again. This feels so chancy and like a bad hotel. But I still maintain this is not some awful apartment complex, as vexing as the problems have been, This is what passes for ordinary middle class, pretty average apartments, as far as I can tell.
I so want this to work. I wish I weren’t so blasted alone, had a partner or roommate(s) we could all get along, a team, something like a family. I don’t think I’m that great a catch, I know that. But friends and a better living situation and not to live so alone…a real home…I so want that. — I will have the new home, at least, if things work out with the current plans. If not this one, then another, I hope, before it’s out of my reach. I still think I’ll be lucky if this works.
But dang, when things like tonight happen, I really want a place of my own again.
—–
I am pretty sure Peppercorn is actively trying to wean her kittens, finally, and I think her milk is drying up. This evening, she walked away from them, and later, I heard her giving that warning grumbling grrr, either to wean them or to get them to quit acting up, pouncing on her tail, etc. She is still calling a lot, but is maybe a little better than she had been. During, I might not think so.) — I am strong contemplating calling to ask the vet about boarding her and getting her spayed. The time away from the kittens will help them be weaned, and they at least will have me for support, plus Goober if he will. — If they are weaned enough, then she can come back with less chance of stress to the healing incision. I don’t want to risk that, for her sake. No need to create a bad health problem or something ongoing or cropping up later on for her. That would not be fair.
Had occasion tonight to think how much she’s improved, now a healthy, solid weight, not scrawny and starving like when she got here. Her kittens are healthy and doing fine.
Hah, late afternoon, I caught her and Goober, sitting together, only inches apart, no problems. I got the distinct impression they were both seeking a respite from the kittens, and had found, at least for a minute or two, common cause and maybe working on that friendship. I don’t think there’s a romance brewing; I think Goober is still unsure of her, and she’s assertive and yes, maybe in heat. But for a few minutes there, before and after I found them, they were fine sitting together, and liked me saying hi and stopping to pet them. — Whether they are ready to be good friends yet, I don’t know, but it was a funny and endearing sight.
Between the kittens into everything now and mama somewhat also, as a young cat, and her calling, it’s wearing on me at times But then they go and do something like that, or Peppercorn will want attention, and it’s all worth it.
Dubhan hasn’t been staying on the bed so much the past three nights, after a lot of doing that for around a week. Wizard has been on the bed to stay a little, a few nights now, not consecutive, and the others have a little. Ducky is still often seeking his own path, and doesn’t seem to be too interested in seeing time with me, usually.
Goober is doing better with all this, and knows now he can get attention when he wants it, and on the bed when he wants, though he still lets the kittens get to him and goes off to be quiet, at times. He has taken to his ottoman here in the bedroom too. Heh.
So all things considered, doing about as well as can be, I guess.
Oh, I delved into a box for a recent delivery and discovered I had another 12 pack of Cokes I had thought I’d used up. So I’m good until I get groceries, aside from things I’m out of or will be by then.
@Walt, thanks, I was thinking that would be the case, about the skillet sauce packs. Good to know you think they’re OK, makes me feel better. Yes, if they smell funky, out they’ll go.
Take care, everyone. I think everyone’s getting restless, a little cabin fever, nervous about what’s going on.
So the care, everyone, and I hope you’re all healthy and doing fine. Best of luck with online orders and deliveries.
Huh, I wonder how many businesses will keep up curbside and takeout and delivery, after this is lifted. It’s going to boost online entertainment versus cable or in-theaters, boost ebooks and audio, and online shopping.
Please be well, everyone. I feel like I know many of you, even though we’ve never met. I hope you’ll all be OK, and your families and friends and neighbors.
:: banging head against wall :: — Rot the luck. — On my way back from checking the P.O. Box this morning, hey, there was Mystic! waiting at the door. I wasn’t sure if I’d heard him when I’d gone to the dumpster before that. Hey, buddy, great, hang on, I’ll feed you.
So I opened the door and Peppercorn came out, and saw him, and hopped the half-height fence. Oh, nuts, not what I needed. — I went in to get a can of food for Mystic, chancing it, because I couldn’t get her without wandering around; and knowing she might dash off in the meantime too.
Back out with the can of food and a disposable bowl. (Great, kids or adults have strewn disposable plates, cups, around and no one’s cleaned them up. Fantastic. Ugh. Also within that little fenced privacy area, and no, the latch is still broken, unrepaired.)
Had to fend off kittens, curious and wanting to get out to mama. Nearly got one in the door. Don’t know which. Inspection later and I can’t find any injury, so I hope whoever it was is OK, didn’t get squeezed too hard.
Out to look around, worried Peppercorn might have disappeared and be gone for hours or days. — But whew, no, there she was on the sidewalk, lying down within two feet of Mystic. Mystic had sneezed earlier. I hope he is disease-free and it was just a regular sneeze. I had heard no caterwauling from them, so I am presuming nothing happened yet.
I went to pick up Peppercorn and hoped she wouldn’t get violent. She did grumble, did squirm and was sort of shivering, which I interpret as, she’s in heat, but nothing had truly transpired yet…but might have if it had continued. Got her in successfully. Whew. I think / hope / pray we all dodged a bullet there, both pregnancy and any infection. Oh, I hope she’ll be OK.
Then had to do a head count of kittens to make sure no one got out when the door was open. — Everyone is in and excited and playful. Oh boy! Early morning! We wanna play and have fun. Who’s that other kitty? Aw, we’re not too curious about him, let’s play. — Mystic could be the papa of one or all of them. So could one other cat, if he’s male. Curry could have been. (The vet’s guess was Mystic; she claimed she didn’t see much of Curry in them. Not that it would necessarily show.) — So the kittens are fine, I think.
Peppercorn was not really upset with me to get back in. She took this as, oh well, OK, I’m back in with my kittens, it’s cool, no hard feelings. Well, that’s a real relief, considering Curry’s angry reactions.
End result: Mystic is somewhere out there still, surely dismayed that I picked up Peppercorn and took her in, but didn’t also do the same for him, or let them stay together. Sorry, buddy, had to break up that date. Little Mama does not need to be a constant kitten factory, we need to get that fixed for her sake (and yours) and also don’t want more risk of her getting something like FIV or FeLV. — Mystic must have left. Also, I managed to leave the unopened can of cat food out there, and the plastic bowl. :-/ I did not touch the neighbors’ dirty disposable dishes strewn about.
Poor Mystic, I feel bad for him. I’d wanted to feed him and greet him and make sure if he’s OK. He was glad to see me and was thinking about coming in, but hadn’t yet seen Peppercorn and family. I don’t know if Peppercorn would still object to him coming in and trying to eat after them. But he is at least looking OK, though he may have a respiratory bug, which means he could have something worse. In any case, I can’t risk him getting the others sick. (And I fervently hope that the few minutes he and Peppercorn were around each other was not enough for her to catch something. I am going to go with, it wasn’t, but will have to advise the vet when I take Peppercorn in to be spayed.)
She’s now fussed at one kitten, which is either, you’re playing too rough and I’m not in the mood, or, no, my milk’s drying up and you have sharp little teeth and claws and it hurts, so buzz off, I’m weaning you all. She called a little.
She also came to me to get petted, so again, she’s OK with me still and likes having a home, rather than being ticked off and wanting out for a hot date with a cool tomcat.
I guess I’m the foster dad who won’t let the very eligible daughter on a date with the local Romeo. Sorry, you two, really.
So…yep, really need to get her in to be spayed. Will try to get that scheduled for this week, and let the vet know Little Mama is trying harder to wean them, may be about done with that, enough that I want to risk it. That, and her calling is getting old fast. But at least she’s not being aggressive toward me or Goober or her kittens, or trying hard to get out. She seems fine to be in, except for popping out just now.
I’m going to count this as a close call, but I think we missed any real trouble. Hope she didn’t catch anything, and I hope Mystic is OK.
Goober’s just fine, and the kittens are fine, not bothered, and not scrabbling to get outside. So we’re good there too.
If that’s the day’s excitement, so far, so good.
—–
I am in the last half of Chanur’s Legacy, and reminded all over again why I love those books. Na Hallan is still in trouble with ker Hilfy and crew and they still don’t have things resolved. Capt. Hilfy has just handed out the Pride’s rulebook, and na Hallan is still trying his best to get out of trouble and be taken on as crew. Mahen and kifish and stsho powers are all being their separately difficult selves. The crew are trying to adjust, and Chihin’s healing up after the recent trouble. Everyone, mo matter how minor, gets something to do, good lines, good action, unlike some popular video SF I could think of, even from shows I love. Every is still alien, and each species has its own way of being alien. Not a human in the book, except Tully showing up in dream sequences. The areams are very nicely surreal and mysterious. Great action, intelligent fiction, good science, good characterization and plotting. Rousing adventure, and distinctive characters, especially the hani. But everyone’s memorable.
I find it interesting that we get so many tropes turned upside-down and that this works so well. Na Hallan is eager to get into space, but he’s naive and sheltered and inexperienced and accident prone, and not particularly appreciated for most of the book. Ker Hilfy is a young and inexperienced captain, as principled and attitudinal and more temperamental than ker Pyanfar, who was all of those but more mature and experienced. Ker Hilfy goes through the book specifically not trusting and snubbing the mahen agent hunter captain, goes out of her way to, but that’s her instinctive as well as studied opinion. She knows how to lay it on thick with the stsho, who are as, hmm, no, even more floridly baroque and elaborately mannered as before. But we get more about what makes stsho the way they are, a really satisfying thread throughout. Plus we get the kif being the opposite of almost anything human-like or hand-like in psychology, and yet it works and we get another look at what makes them tick.
Looking forward to the rest of the book. I’m in chapter 14 or 15, and may finish today.
I should be packing, doing stuff. I am unmotivated. Going to take time today, then get back to it.
Not sure if I can get mama kitty spayed this week, but hoping to.
Groceries at some point this week, but aside from what I am out of, I’d just as soon wait until I am in more need, rather than over-crowding things, since I’m still hoping to move, likely after the 9th, when gas hookup is scheduled — assuming we get to close after the 3rd, which may be too much to hope for yet, given how the shutdown is going. I don’t recall the number of cases in the county, but it’s already getting up there. Kitty supplies, litter and food, due before the 3rd, too. A few things may arrive the week after the 3rd.
So…hoping it all works out.
Back to Chanur, then to work some more.
Glad the cats are OK as far as I know.
It was early, so I didn’t see anyone outside, though one apt. had music playing. I’m still tired from lack of sleep nearly all night.
Also, has anyone heard from Joe or Weeble or a few others who have not posted replies here in a while? They had not, prior to the virus becoming news. I hope they’re OK and miss seeing them here. Lurkers here, even though we don’t see them post, I hope are OK too.
I had a bad couple of hours, worried about my situation with the new house and budget, and being too isolated. But hah, the cats helped cheer me up after feeding them, all of them happy and wanting to say thanks and run around. — Goober’s not really “running around” much, but he did want to thank me and get attention. If I catch him playing with the others, or if he and Peppercorn continue with good relations, that will be very welcome. So…I am feeling a little encouraged, despite still being concerned.
Take care everyone. We like you all as you are, not suffering troubles, or improving if you have been having problems.
I think I figured out my misapprehension with Shipt. The P is silent.
And today Amazon Fresh is down; you can’t actually pick a delivery time. Ever.
Sigh.
(An acquaintance had a still more naïve view of space than Hallan. They just wanted to work somewhere in the space program; on the Mars missions, I suppose. They just really, really wanted it, but they weren’t willing to get the education for it. OTOH, I can think of a couple people who went back to school, got their Ph.D.s because, coincidentally, they both wanted to do medical research. I don’t understand the space cadet at all.)
YouTube has a surprising amount of content about the most amazing things. I’ve discovered that The Corning Glass Museum has video after video of artists using various techniques to create objects in glass, complete with a commentator to tell you interesting facts about what you’re seeing. In addition to Suchet’s Poirot, there are episodes of Joan Hickson’s Marple, as well as some with other actresses, including Margaret Rutherford, in the role (I like Hickson’s Marple best). There are now artists making video for the quarantined. Andrew Lloyd Weber and Paul Simon are two that I’ve seen. Arne & Carlos are having a quarantine knit-along with free patterns available.
CBS All Access streaming service is free for all until almost the end of April so you can catch up on Star Trek: Picard’s first season. The first season of The Witcher is pretty good. Check out some of the Chinese and Korean series available on Netflix. I find them great to binge-watch while knitting. About half the time I can’t tell which end is up, plot wise, but the costumes and settings are gorgeous.
Check out internet radio stations. Soma FM out of San Francisco has a broad selection of *commercial free* music that you can stream for free over your PC or laptop through a web browser. They are listener supported, so if you like what you hear, consider donating. (They sell tee shirts if you’re into those.) Also, there are internet radio apps for smart phones which you can use to stream content from them and other internet radio stations. I like the genre called “ambient” and I can recommend several free stations in that genre if you’re into that. In that vein, you might check out the Earth Mantra Netlabel website, which supports quite a number of artists and see if you like any of their free-to-download content.
Podcasts, y’all. There’s all kinds of podcasts out there. Welcome to Night Vale is one that comes to mind.
The Internet Archive is a treasure trove of free on-line goodies — music, books, movies just waiting for you to be the kid in their candy store.
Ah, yes. I could gleefully fall down the rabbit hole following weird things on the Internet. Yesterday I hopped from union strikes in Chicago to a plant that had only been seen once in a prairie swamp, to forensic pathology.
Netflix: If you haven’t seen Stranger Things, I highly recommend it. The 1st and 2nd seasons are best; 3rd season wasn’t quite as good, but still binge-watch worthy. The 4th season is in production, but no release date given yet.
Amazon Video: The Expanse — I’ve watched seasons 1 through 3, but not yet season 4. Very good stuff.
(I’m a long-time Firefly / Serenity and Farscape fan. Watch those for sure. Be prepared to be confounded that we don’t have more.)
After listening to all 5 books in the Chanur saga, I have the urge to watch both Lawrence of Arabia and possibly some old pirate / seafaring movies. Alton Brown had had a joke going about The Right Stuff, which I want to rewatch, as I haven’t seen it in a long time. I’m not quite sure why the Lawrence of Arabia watch was prompted by the books. Maybe something about the kif.
I’m going to listen to The Dreaming Tree next. 🙂
Podcasts:
SF&F: I’m not sure if Hidden Frontier’s podcasts are still available, but these were fan productions, Star Trek TNG era. I did voice acting in two episodes, one as a Cardassian Glynn, unhinged; one as a Klingon Guard, very gruff, not my normal voice.
I also really like Star Trek Excelsior podcast by James Heaney’s team, and did voice acting as an alien assistant on some drilling rig, in one ep. I like Star Trek Outpost very much too, by Giant Gnome; and have not done voice acting there.
Sadly no longer in production, the Signal podcast, about Firefly. There were several years of this, and you get genre video reviews, “How to Speak Chinese” segments from phrases used on Firefly, and a couple of very fun audio fiction running skits, besides much good stuff on Firefly, its music, and so on.
Non-Genre Podcasts: I like Lingthusiasm, done by a very fast-talking Canadian linguist and a not-so-fast-talking Australian linguist. Not a huge number of episodes so far, kind of specialized, but if you like language, try these.
The History of English podcast, I forget the maker’s name. Well done. I don’t always agree with some of his assertions or pronunciation on Middle English, but there are 130-some episodes and it’s very good for history and language.
There are others, but that’s it off the top of my head.
I do random channel-surfing on YouTube plus some subscribed channels. One really neat one for history and food is Townsends, on the American Colonial period, by a historical reenactor with a passion for everything about that period.
I’m awake because my upstairs neighbor, presumably their kids, were running and jumping onto the bed or couch, from the length of the apartment. At least that’s what it sounded like. — This both far outdoes any noise and scurrying my cats do, plus…I really do hope the ceiling doesn’t crash in before I get to move out, if I get to. Not entirely exaggerating. the noise and shaking can be truly alarming, and this was tonight.
Cats behaving themselves within cat normal parameters, haha. Awaiting further cat litter, alas.
Oh, also of note, at least two of Andre Norton’s books, The Zero Stone and Uncharted Stars, both about the alien / mutant cat Eet and human companion, are available through Amazon and presumably elsewhere, as ebooks. — Several others of her books are also in ebook format these days, much appreciated. If The Iron Cage or Starman’s Son / Daybreak 2250 A.D. are available other than in some collection, I haven’t seen, and I wish they were.
Others had noted Project Gutenberg in the previous blog post. You can get plain text, HTML files, or EPUB or Kindle formats, whichever suits you. I haven’t tried feeding the text into a text-to-voice reader, but that’s a great option if if works well. — What speech readers / apps do you all recommend for that?
In my experience, the quality of Project Gutenberg files can vary. A couple that were French-language were not well done, but may have been corrected by now. Others’ the formatting and text proofing sometimes isn’t great. But overall, Project Gutenberg is a very good service. It’s volunteer-done, so this is why it varies so, depending on the skill of whoever does the text scan or entry and formatting.