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Sep. 12th, 2026 12:53 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
twistedchickThis is my response to some people over on Tumblr who opened their mouths and said stupid, hurtful things about a day that didn't need more pain heaped onto it. It's here because I really don't need to deal with them, but I can't let what they said rest without a response somewhere. ( I am putting the response behind a cut so you don't have to see it. )
Other September 11th Anniversaries Also Still of Importance to Me
Sep. 11th, 2026 06:25 pmdewlinePast reminders of other anniversaries that tie to this date...
https://dewline.dreamwidth.org/1851568.html
And before that:
https://dewline.dreamwidth.org/1559387.html
All of the things described in those earlier entries still matter to me, right along with the Crimes that happened...twenty-five years ago.
https://dewline.dreamwidth.org/1851568.html
And before that:
https://dewline.dreamwidth.org/1559387.html
All of the things described in those earlier entries still matter to me, right along with the Crimes that happened...twenty-five years ago.
Cousins Hawai'i Vacation: Part III (Sunday, Monday/Tuesday)
Aug. 4th, 2026 01:35 pmdorchadasThe third part of my Hawai'i vacation posts. The first post is here and the second post is here.
![[instagram.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/profile_icons/instagram.png)
sashagee and I felt like the vacation had passed much more quickly than the last time we went to Hawai'i, but that's objectively true. We lost a bunch of time dealing with the hotel situation at the beginning of the trip, and then we were in the new hotel, we lost a bit more time every single day going back and forth from the hotel. The trip was also a day shorter than the previous trip, which is why the last day in this account is comboed together into two. But the nice thing about my sister living in Honolulu is that we always have a reason to go back, and go back we will.
( Sunday )
( Monday/Tuesday )
Another successful Hawai'i trip! All things considered, I admit that I preferred going in the winter, when it was on average 5°C colder, windier, and rainier (all things I prefer), which just meant the average temperature was 25°C and some mornings were a bit rainy. I'm not a big beach person--I'd much more be in favor of going for walks in the hills--and cooler, cloudier weather would be perfect for that. And with Laila being so worried about waves to the point that she didn't want to go to the beach at all, hiking weather would have been nice. There were multiple trails I picked out that I wanted to hike and we didn't get the chance to go to any of them, but they'll still be there the next time we go. And maybe by then,wanderluster_kp will finally have found a nice house where the house inspector doesn't make throat-cut motions when she asks if she should buy it.
Until next time!
sashagee and I felt like the vacation had passed much more quickly than the last time we went to Hawai'i, but that's objectively true. We lost a bunch of time dealing with the hotel situation at the beginning of the trip, and then we were in the new hotel, we lost a bit more time every single day going back and forth from the hotel. The trip was also a day shorter than the previous trip, which is why the last day in this account is comboed together into two. But the nice thing about my sister living in Honolulu is that we always have a reason to go back, and go back we will.( Sunday )
( Monday/Tuesday )
Another successful Hawai'i trip! All things considered, I admit that I preferred going in the winter, when it was on average 5°C colder, windier, and rainier (all things I prefer), which just meant the average temperature was 25°C and some mornings were a bit rainy. I'm not a big beach person--I'd much more be in favor of going for walks in the hills--and cooler, cloudier weather would be perfect for that. And with Laila being so worried about waves to the point that she didn't want to go to the beach at all, hiking weather would have been nice. There were multiple trails I picked out that I wanted to hike and we didn't get the chance to go to any of them, but they'll still be there the next time we go. And maybe by then,
wanderluster_kp will finally have found a nice house where the house inspector doesn't make throat-cut motions when she asks if she should buy it.Until next time!
Food post but about breakfast
Sep. 9th, 2026 10:43 amdorchadasNot lunch?? Gasp! 
I'll eat different things for lunch but I often eat the same thing for breakfast for days on end--for years it was Japanese traditional 一汁三菜 (ichijū sansai, lit. "One soup, three dishes"), with rice and fish and miso soup and pickles, butsashagee's pregnancy broke the habit because even a whiff of fish would upset her stomach. I still have it sometimes, generally on winter mornings before I have to go into the office, but lately I've been eating a slice of toast with butter and some Greek yogurt with fruit. Today, though, we had leftover rice just sitting it the rice cooker, so I decided rather than throw it away, I'd make what the youths apparently are now calling TKG.
卵かけご飯 (tamago kake gohan, "Egg over rice")
Also visible are clockwise from upper right: 茄子の煮物 (nasu no nimono, "simmered eggplant"), takuan (pickled daikon), pickled herring, and Western-style pickled cucumbers, with sakura green tea as an accompaniment. Making tamago kake gohan is pretty easy--as long as the rice is hot enough, just crack an egg into it, add a bit of soy sauce, maybe a bit of furikake, some fried seaweed (as I have done here), mushrooms, etc., mix it all up, and then eat. As long as you have the toppings ready to go, it takes maybe a minute, which is good because Laila didn't wake up until after 7 a.m. today due to the rain, which meant we didn't get out of bed until after 7 a.m., which means I was late for work. I did get to walk Laila part of the way to school, though, so that made up for it.
Easily, delicious breakfast on a rainy day.
I'll eat different things for lunch but I often eat the same thing for breakfast for days on end--for years it was Japanese traditional 一汁三菜 (ichijū sansai, lit. "One soup, three dishes"), with rice and fish and miso soup and pickles, but
sashagee's pregnancy broke the habit because even a whiff of fish would upset her stomach. I still have it sometimes, generally on winter mornings before I have to go into the office, but lately I've been eating a slice of toast with butter and some Greek yogurt with fruit. Today, though, we had leftover rice just sitting it the rice cooker, so I decided rather than throw it away, I'd make what the youths apparently are now calling TKG.卵かけご飯 (tamago kake gohan, "Egg over rice")
Also visible are clockwise from upper right: 茄子の煮物 (nasu no nimono, "simmered eggplant"), takuan (pickled daikon), pickled herring, and Western-style pickled cucumbers, with sakura green tea as an accompaniment. Making tamago kake gohan is pretty easy--as long as the rice is hot enough, just crack an egg into it, add a bit of soy sauce, maybe a bit of furikake, some fried seaweed (as I have done here), mushrooms, etc., mix it all up, and then eat. As long as you have the toppings ready to go, it takes maybe a minute, which is good because Laila didn't wake up until after 7 a.m. today due to the rain, which meant we didn't get out of bed until after 7 a.m., which means I was late for work. I did get to walk Laila part of the way to school, though, so that made up for it.
Easily, delicious breakfast on a rainy day.
Update on the Delivery From British London
Sep. 8th, 2026 10:41 amdewlineThe book I bought from Anderson Entertainment did get funnelled through Memphis because FedEx. It just left the main Ottawa airport about 15 minutes ago.
People are Ephemeral; the To-do List Will Endure
Sep. 6th, 2026 10:47 pmlil_m_mosesSo many things I wanted to do this weekend but didn't/won't get to. But today I spent quality time with my kid, doing some back to school shopping and doing more cooking together (chicken salad and a breakfast casserole), and that's important and good.
Yesterday I took my cousin along to pick up my wine club bottles and finally took advantage of the free glass/tasting perk for the first time. She had a lot of fun and I learned she'd never done that before, so that was also important and good. Also good was my helping her out by fixing/more solidly mounting her bathroom towel bars and rehanging a beloved decorative hook for her. Couldn't help with replacing the scratch-prone plastic mirror built into her medicine cabinet, though.
Yesterday she and I also tried Mom with some other games to try to engage the mind. Sadly, all were busts. Mom couldn't see the colors on the black Qwirkle tiles (cataracts). She didn't remember how to play Rummikub and wasn't really grasping the ideas, plus she was having trouble with colors on those tiles too. Yahtzee didn't engage her enough, so she kept putting her head down. She couldn't grasp/remember the Boggle concept that the letters have to be touching. So we'll stick with Uno and modified (turn-taking) Scrabble Slam, and Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders, with an occasional game of Sorry. The jigsaw puzzles have largely lost her engagement now too.
Yesterday I took my cousin along to pick up my wine club bottles and finally took advantage of the free glass/tasting perk for the first time. She had a lot of fun and I learned she'd never done that before, so that was also important and good. Also good was my helping her out by fixing/more solidly mounting her bathroom towel bars and rehanging a beloved decorative hook for her. Couldn't help with replacing the scratch-prone plastic mirror built into her medicine cabinet, though.
Yesterday she and I also tried Mom with some other games to try to engage the mind. Sadly, all were busts. Mom couldn't see the colors on the black Qwirkle tiles (cataracts). She didn't remember how to play Rummikub and wasn't really grasping the ideas, plus she was having trouble with colors on those tiles too. Yahtzee didn't engage her enough, so she kept putting her head down. She couldn't grasp/remember the Boggle concept that the letters have to be touching. So we'll stick with Uno and modified (turn-taking) Scrabble Slam, and Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders, with an occasional game of Sorry. The jigsaw puzzles have largely lost her engagement now too.
A Book Delivery Question
Sep. 6th, 2026 07:11 pmdewlineIf a FedEx parcel gets shipped from London, UK to Ottawa, would it get routed through Memphis, Montréal or Toronto? Or is there any chance of a direct flight to Ottawa?
Food Pr0n: Not Really a Greek Salad
Sep. 6th, 2026 09:00 amjssWith lettuce not being safe to buy for a bit, I made a riff on a Greek salad. I say "riff" because I don't care for beets, olives, or pepperoncini, and prefer blue to feta cheese. So....
Ingredients
Ingredients
- One regular cucumber
- One pint grape tomatoes
- One bunch of scallions
- 4 oz. blue or feta cheese, crumbled
- 1–2 tbsp. capers (to taste)
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Balsamic vinaigrette
- Slice the cucumber into rounds then into half-moons. Put them in a large bowl.
- Slice the tomatoes in half. Add them to the bowl.
- Slice the scallions. Add them to the bowl.
- Add the blue cheese and capers to the bowl.
- Sprinkle in the salt, pepper, and oregano.
- Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette.
- Toss (gently) to mix. Refrigerate. If you keep it for a while you might want to drain the excess liquid occasionally (the salt, even that from the cheese and capers, will draw moisture from the vegetables). It lasts a few days in the fridge. (It might last longer but even a double batch only lasted me three or four days before I finished it.)
I've eaten it as a side salad, as a snack, or even as a light main (with some bacon bits for added protein).
Home Update
Sep. 6th, 2026 08:45 amjssThere's not a lot to say about the home front. I've managed to kill off a lot of the ivy in the front landscaping, but not before it killed most of the remaining pricker bush (it's mostly copper-brown dying or gray dead leaves, not the deep green they used to be). I should have it ripped out but I don't want to deal with the HOA issues in replacing it or being responsible for it after the fact.
My rear landscaping is (still) gone. They ripped it all out in 2025 or 2024 because Reasons (including it growing too tall for our lawn care company to prune, covering up not only the ground floor but also the second-story windows). They haven't replaced it with anything, even with additional rocks (it's not in the budget — see also the Roads). I'm not thrilled, as it provides easier access to the basement egress windows... which are near the electronics (computer, monitor, cable modem, NAS, wifi router, and UPS).
Not much else going on here.
My rear landscaping is (still) gone. They ripped it all out in 2025 or 2024 because Reasons (including it growing too tall for our lawn care company to prune, covering up not only the ground floor but also the second-story windows). They haven't replaced it with anything, even with additional rocks (it's not in the budget — see also the Roads). I'm not thrilled, as it provides easier access to the basement egress windows... which are near the electronics (computer, monitor, cable modem, NAS, wifi router, and UPS).
Not much else going on here.
Work Update
Sep. 6th, 2026 08:30 amjssIt's been a while since I updated here about work. (April 2025? Yikes!) At a high level, I'm still doin' my thing.
I'm sure there's more — there always is — but those are the highlights I remember.
- I got a decent (by university standards) raise in both 2025 and 2026. It's not enough to keep up with inflation but at least it's something.
- I got a new manager. I had reported to M., then to J. who reported to M., then J. left and I reported to M. again until we hired P. Between my vacations, his vacations and paternity leave, and the holidays, we're meeting every 4–6 weeks or so instead of every two.
- Mid-semester maintenance has been going pretty well. One time in the past 16 months we had nothing major to do and sent the all clear by 10:00 a.m. (instead of the more common 2:00–3:00 p.m.). We're about to start planning for our October 2026 maintenance weekend. I can't schedule all of 2027 yet, though, as the 2027 football schedule isn't released yet (and we can't do it on a Home Football Saturday because we need to be able to get to and park on campus).
- I developed a proof-of-concept application for the Voices of the Staff program. It takes advantage of the historical database the Alumni Engagement Network Team (AENT) developed to track program alumni engagement, so we know who served in what roles on what teams when, back to the founding of the program in 2005. We can generate team rosters on demand; easily pull reports about member history, campus representation, how well Voices' microcosm matched the university across five demographic axes; and track our past, present, and future initiatives more usefully than the spreadsheet we've been using since 2018. There's still a lot of data that needs recovery from HR's internal shared drive (like the microcosm and demographics data) plus a few missing team assignments we're aware of and most of our pre-2018 projects. But UHR's senior leadership team was thrilled with what they saw back in April (2026), and I get to present again about the newer bits in October (2026).
- The annual technology symposium (now called "MTech Connect") I helped plan ran great last December. We're in prep for this year's event in October and I've got a presentation proposed about how I used AI to help develop the Voices application, as well as two others my team uses regularly, without speaking the language. It'll be at least a poster, but a couple of people thought it would be a good 30-minute breakout session. We'll see what they turn it into.
I'm sure there's more — there always is — but those are the highlights I remember.
Road Update
Sep. 6th, 2026 08:15 amjssI never said it here, but they did finish up the roads in July. The asphalt was fully drivable again by Tuesday, July 14, and the manhole collar replacements — gouge out a big circle then put in the concrete collar and manhole — were done July 23–31.
The final assessment was only $800 for a total cost of $5,300 per unit all-in. A far cry from the original $10,000 estimate.
Our HOA annual meeting is on September 29. I'll go to thank those involved. I already know our president is stepping down (he's Had Enough). We have three people running (so far) for three seats so I won't have to stress about them trying to get me to run ("if nominated I shall not run; if elected I shall not serve").
The final assessment was only $800 for a total cost of $5,300 per unit all-in. A far cry from the original $10,000 estimate.
Our HOA annual meeting is on September 29. I'll go to thank those involved. I already know our president is stepping down (he's Had Enough). We have three people running (so far) for three seats so I won't have to stress about them trying to get me to run ("if nominated I shall not run; if elected I shall not serve").
Happy Blogiversary!
Sep. 6th, 2026 08:00 amjssHappy blogiversary to me. 24 years ago today I created my LJ account... and despite having moved long-form blogging over here, I kept my permanent account there.
Mixed Results
Sep. 4th, 2026 10:08 pmlil_m_mosesSpent about 3x as long on my car today as I'd hoped. The glove box removal was not nearly so easy as the videos had led me to believe. I finally got it out and swapped the motor on the recirc flap, verified it worked and then tried to put it together again. Couldn't get the long tongue threaded back though the center console closeout panels. Finally found another video with my exact model of dashboard (just right hand drive) and had to take out 5 more things. Tested again before buttoning back up, and it stuck again. New motor doing the same as the old, so there's probably an issue with the car. Took the old motor housing apart, but all looked fine inside. Tried both, and they would work a few times, then get stuck, but would sometimes move if I added a little starting torque with my hand. Finally gave up, manually moved the diverter to fresh air, and put the old motor back in, but unconnected so it can't get itself stuck in recirc again when I put it on full defrost.
Then, at some point in the several times I tried to get the glove box in and out, I discovered that instead of pulling the electrical connector off my tire pressure monitoring reset switch, I pulled the whole back off, and lost the spring inside. Spent a while trying to find that and determine how quick I could get another switch, but then I learned that the switch for turning off my traction control is basically the same model, and I use that very rarely. So I pulled it out (was in an already-removed panel), got the spring out, which was actually a rubber button type of spring with little hard bits to make a momentary contact on the tiny circuit board in the back of the switch. Got the tire pressure switch rebuilt, and then promptly found its spring on the garage floor. -_- Put it in the traction control switch, so they're both good again, though the tire pressure one might try to pop out the back of the glove box again.
Put the glove box back again, took a couple minutes to clean up the grotty bits of center console that I'd disassembled, and got everything put back together. Then realized I had 3 screws left and panicked for a minute. Finally realized I'd missed one inside the glove box, and forgotten to screw down one of the console pieces, so had to take a couple things back apart to do that.
Then I tackled the few inches of water I'd found in my spare tire well. I've been fighting that on and off for years and still haven't figured out where it's coming from. Managed to empty that between clearing the drain pinhole, bailing, and a towel, and I'm leaving it propped open, with all the car windows also open, to dry overnight.
Started the car to run to the auto parts store and get a new cabin air filter, so long as I was fixing things up, and discovered that I tripped an airbag error code. Most likely it was because I had previously started the car (to check the diverter motor function) with the passenger airbag disable button unplugged. So I finally ordered myself a low end computer code talker (OBD) that I should be able to use to reset that error. I'd love to get the expensive one that I could actually use to tweak my car software (and maybe make my glow plugs keep coming on up to maybe 75 deg instead of 50 and making the car crank forever all summer), but they're quite pricy and I'm not positive that's even one of the things I could tweak.
At least the air filter replacement was dead easy. And my car windows didn't fog up at all when driving to the auto parts store in the rain!
Then, at some point in the several times I tried to get the glove box in and out, I discovered that instead of pulling the electrical connector off my tire pressure monitoring reset switch, I pulled the whole back off, and lost the spring inside. Spent a while trying to find that and determine how quick I could get another switch, but then I learned that the switch for turning off my traction control is basically the same model, and I use that very rarely. So I pulled it out (was in an already-removed panel), got the spring out, which was actually a rubber button type of spring with little hard bits to make a momentary contact on the tiny circuit board in the back of the switch. Got the tire pressure switch rebuilt, and then promptly found its spring on the garage floor. -_- Put it in the traction control switch, so they're both good again, though the tire pressure one might try to pop out the back of the glove box again.
Put the glove box back again, took a couple minutes to clean up the grotty bits of center console that I'd disassembled, and got everything put back together. Then realized I had 3 screws left and panicked for a minute. Finally realized I'd missed one inside the glove box, and forgotten to screw down one of the console pieces, so had to take a couple things back apart to do that.
Then I tackled the few inches of water I'd found in my spare tire well. I've been fighting that on and off for years and still haven't figured out where it's coming from. Managed to empty that between clearing the drain pinhole, bailing, and a towel, and I'm leaving it propped open, with all the car windows also open, to dry overnight.
Started the car to run to the auto parts store and get a new cabin air filter, so long as I was fixing things up, and discovered that I tripped an airbag error code. Most likely it was because I had previously started the car (to check the diverter motor function) with the passenger airbag disable button unplugged. So I finally ordered myself a low end computer code talker (OBD) that I should be able to use to reset that error. I'd love to get the expensive one that I could actually use to tweak my car software (and maybe make my glow plugs keep coming on up to maybe 75 deg instead of 50 and making the car crank forever all summer), but they're quite pricy and I'm not positive that's even one of the things I could tweak.
At least the air filter replacement was dead easy. And my car windows didn't fog up at all when driving to the auto parts store in the rain!
Cross-Border Anti-Trust Symptoms
Sep. 4th, 2026 07:53 pmdewlineThis is disturbing and we should have expected it.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us-justice-department-pauses-cooperation-with-canadian-government-wsj-reports-2026-09-04/
Part of the continuing trend.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us-justice-department-pauses-cooperation-with-canadian-government-wsj-reports-2026-09-04/
Part of the continuing trend.
things falling apart
Sep. 3rd, 2026 03:25 pmtwistedchickMy computer appears to be on its last cyber legs. It's old enough, so I'm planning to get a replacement while I can, before it gets too cranky to work with at all. I got it a couple of years before COVID. And yes, everything will get backed up.
But it's frustrating. I can type 100 wpm, but now I type at my usual speed and then have to wait for the words to appear onscreen, slooooooooooooooooooooooooooowly. That pretty much keeps me from being able to write as I want. And I don't want to lose the six or so chapters of the book that I'm working on.
Along with this, Sweetie, our older kitty, is not feeling well but is hiding somewhere so that we cannot put her in a carrier and take her to the vet. The preliminary diagnosis is constipation, and the SU has a helpful probiotic that he's trying to give her (when she eats anything). But this morning she has managed to disappear beyond the usual, so we are waiting for her to emerge from anywhere. I suspect she has a pocket universe hidden under the couch or similar.
But it's frustrating. I can type 100 wpm, but now I type at my usual speed and then have to wait for the words to appear onscreen, slooooooooooooooooooooooooooowly. That pretty much keeps me from being able to write as I want. And I don't want to lose the six or so chapters of the book that I'm working on.
Along with this, Sweetie, our older kitty, is not feeling well but is hiding somewhere so that we cannot put her in a carrier and take her to the vet. The preliminary diagnosis is constipation, and the SU has a helpful probiotic that he's trying to give her (when she eats anything). But this morning she has managed to disappear beyond the usual, so we are waiting for her to emerge from anywhere. I suspect she has a pocket universe hidden under the couch or similar.
Someone told me a wonderful tale of a thing they called a "vacation"
Sep. 2nd, 2026 10:49 pmlil_m_mosesI feel like it won't really count as 2 days off after I worked 39 hours in the first 3 days of the week, will probably need to at least check in tomorrow to ensure there aren't questions or issues with the 15 or 20 invoices I shipped this evening, will feel guilty about not getting meeting notes out for 3 customer meetings, have another 6-8 meetings to look forward to on Tuesday, and will be spending much of one of those "off" days taking Mom to 2 doctor's appointments (and lunch).
Nevertheless, I have hopes and plans that include:
- fix the cabin air recirc valve in my car
- prep kiddo for school starting Tuesday
- get a haircut and then refresh my blueness
- maybe install the LED undercabinet lights in the kitchen (that I bought back in December)
- maybe go see a movie or two; coyotes and spiders are on my radar
- actually talk to my husband instead of poring over work nonsense
Nevertheless, I have hopes and plans that include:
- fix the cabin air recirc valve in my car
- prep kiddo for school starting Tuesday
- get a haircut and then refresh my blueness
- maybe install the LED undercabinet lights in the kitchen (that I bought back in December)
- maybe go see a movie or two; coyotes and spiders are on my radar
- actually talk to my husband instead of poring over work nonsense
August Media
Aug. 31st, 2026 08:50 pmlil_m_mosesBooks Finished
- Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman [Kindle]
- Harry Potter und die Heiligtümer des Todes by JK Rowling [e-audio], more German listening
- Bee Speaker by Adrian Tchaikovsky [e-audio]
- Lost and Found by Orson Scott Card [e-audio]
- Carl's Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman [paper]
- Little Fuzzy by H. Beam Piper [e-audio]
- The Great Influenza by John M. Barry [e-audio] (published in 2006, so no COVID perspectives)
- Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman [Kindle]
- Harry Potter und die Heiligtümer des Todes by JK Rowling [e-audio], more German listening
- Bee Speaker by Adrian Tchaikovsky [e-audio]
- Lost and Found by Orson Scott Card [e-audio]
- Carl's Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman [paper]
- Little Fuzzy by H. Beam Piper [e-audio]
- The Great Influenza by John M. Barry [e-audio] (published in 2006, so no COVID perspectives)