what's cookin'?

 

We started watching Yellowjackets on amazon prime. Seen it?

Only three episodes in, but I was hooked after the pilot. That first episode was free, but the rest require payment, like a drug dealer. I've got some digital credits, so yeah, take 'em, amazon!

The series tells a story of a girls' high school soccer team whose private plane crash lands in the wilderness while they're on their way to the national tournament. It's told in flashbacks to the high school/ crash days - mid-90s - and 2021. Four of the girls, now adults, remain after their return to civilization.  I guess we'll slowly get the story of what happened to others who survived the plane crash, but most certainly, cannibalism was involved. 

OooOOOOoooooh. Sort of a Lord of the Flies, but girls.

So the cannibalism is eerie enough, but I'm a bit bewitched by the foreshadowing of some weird Pagan ritual type stuff we've only seen in little snippets.

It's decent entertainment for these long winter months.

Speaking of which, today is a snow day. We've got about 8 inches, and it's still lightly falling. School districts announced around noon yesterday that they would be closed today. At that time, there was nothing other than a forecast. The college where I work and the local university announced "going remote" for today once the snow began to fall last evening.

We were out shoveling this morning, and I'm thinking things have gotten soft. Yes, there's a decent amount of snow, but there's not a whole lot more of accumulation expected, highs will be in the 30s, and there's really no wind. What's the big deal?

I can remember only one time my university shut down when I was an undergrad. There was probably a good two feet of snow and lots of digging out to be done.  But then, there was no such thing as going remote.

When we lived in Utah, snow days were nonexistent, but we had plenty of snow. After we moved to Colorado, and the kids had their first snow day school closure, they thought I was joking when I gave them the news.

Now it looks like the driveway could use another shovel pass, and I may venture out later for an adventurous trip to the grocery store. 

But it's not like I'll need to go all Donner Party or anything

The next morning, the group stripped the muscle and organs from the bodies of Antonio, Dolan, Graves, and Murphy. They dried them to store for the days ahead, taking care to ensure nobody would have to eat his or her relatives.

Nice. You should always label your food storage.

one small step

It was passed my bedtime. I recall being in my pajamas, but my brother and I were either kept up or awakened from our slumbers. Either way, it was dark outside and we were "made" to watch TV - highly unusual.

Dutifully, I watched the screen with rapt attention. The image was quite grainy in black and white. The black and white was typical, though, because we only had a black and white TV. What I watched were astronauts landing and walking around on the moon.

Honestly, though, I was not sure why I was kept up for such viewing. I was 4 years old and had seen astronauts before. Maybe not on TV, maybe not walking around on the moon, but yeah. Astronauts were certainly a thing. And that's what they did, right? They walked around on the moon.

I'd seen astronauts on the magazine covers my parents subscribed to. I glimpsed astronauts on the TV news. We drank Tang because that's what astronauts drank. 

We ate those (awful yuck pooey) Space Sticks because they were cool astronaut food.

And there I was, sitting on the floor, passed my bedtime, looking up at TV footage of astronauts on the moon. Okay, cool, I guess? I have a vague recollection that even Grandma was there with us. Was something momentous happening? None of the adults were speaking as they seemed a bit speechless, so I was left to ponder. 

And that was that: sitting on the floor in the dark watching grainy images of astronauts, the whole family minus my oldest brother, who was away at college, gathered 'round. It was a bit later that I would learn it was history in the making. 

So I was "there" before realizing how historic. But I drank the Tang and gagged on the Space Sticks.

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Linking up this week with Mama Kat for the prompt:

1. Share one of the first news stories you remember caring about.

girl you know it's true

I got a sponsored ad on my f@cebook feed for these running shoes. Their claim to fame is that they're "the first" running shoe designed specifically for women. I kind of doubted that claim, and after reading the story, I think Under Armour is really splitting hairs. 

I dunno, I'm skeptical, but have not put a pair on my particular feet, so  guess they can advertise all they want. But my takeaway from the article was a (admittedly, rather immature) giggle at the name of the shoe: Flow Synchronicity.

Flow

Synchronicity

I imagine the marketing minds brainstorming away. What to name a shoe JUST for women? Ooh, let's throw together some menstrual connotations!  FLOW! SYNCHRONICITY!

I won't comment on the colorway, but here they are. Period sneakers. For women. Of course.

Okay, onto another subject. The second week of August '22 is in the books. With that, Magnum and I passed the 32-year mark on wedded bliss. A couple of kids back then. 

According to the internet (which didn't truly exist for the masses back then), it was the same year the Berlin Wall came down, Operation Desert Shield began, the Hubble Space Telescope sent its first photos from space, "Twin Peaks" premiered, and Milli Vanilli was stripped of their Grammy after it was revealed that they did not sing on their award-winning album. 

Alas, I was such a Milli Vanilli fan. Blame it on the rain.

They don't make fake bands like they used to. 

loving ewe

Since succumbing to the crud that is covid, I've used my downtime to better myself. 

HA, LIKELY STORY.

I think I've increased my daily reading time a bit, but I've also spent some time watching what has turned out to be rather educational programming.

Clarkson's Farm, heard of the show? It's on Amazon Prime Video and hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, who is apparently well known for shows like "Top Gear" (I know not of it). Anyway, he becomes the owner of a 1,000-acre farm and decides to give it a go even though he knows nothing about farming. 

The show is both educational and entertaining. I particularly enjoy the bits about sheeping where the show follows Jeremy as he chooses and purchases nearly 80 sheep at auction, attempts to herd them with a drone (doesn't work), hires two rams to impregnate the herd, and then takes part in the lambing season.

WATCH SOME LAMBING HERE

I've learned some things like how sheep rams are basically sperm factories, ewes "need" to be part of a flock, sheep are surprisingly nimble, and ewes can be tricked into thinking another ewe's lamb is their own.  

I do now feel guilty about having eaten lamb and will likely never knowingly eat it again, but the show is well done and passes the time for the quarantined infirm like myself.

As far as my reading, I've been working my way through "Under the Banner of Heaven", Jon Krakaur's book about Mormon Fundamentalists and the murder of a woman and her child in the name of God. 

We lived for nearly 4 years in Utah among the Mormons. Polygamy was joked about, but it was also understood that it wasn't all joking.  

And now reading about the Fundamentalist's teachings while also learning about sheep farming, I notice many parallels between Fundamentalist Mormon women/ girls and sheep. 😳

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Linking up this week with Mama Kat for the prompt:

4. Share something you learned in June.

a little back and forth

 I'm sitting here looking out my new office window.  So clean and shiny 😊.  New windows are installed, and it's nice to have that completed.  The new windows are currently naked because we just can't adorn them with the crap old blinds we removed.  On to some new blinds and we'll call it good.

But speaking of calling it good, it's that time to look back on the year that wuz.  2021 feels like it went by fast, or is it just me?  I'm thankful for much. A quick recap:

January was significant in the rolling out of the COVID vaccines.  Since I worked at a nursing home at the time, we got first dibs (actually, "first dibs" were mandated...)

I bicycle commuted several miles for work.  Winter commuting was... fun

Ran a few races.

Inked some Inktober.

Bought two bicycles ,
BUT I sold an old one too.

Took one of those bicycles along with the fam to the mountains for some R & R.

Completed a horticulture semester course and mainly learned that I have much to learn.

Left the nursing home after taking a job at the community college.

All in all, another good year.  The state of the world is not ideal, but is it ever?  I'm trying to stick with the adage of controlling the things I can, etc...  Our family has enjoyed good health and relative prosperity, and I'm ever grateful for that.

On the somber side,

The world lost Malcolm.  Not a week goes by where I don't think of that kid.

Then, we lost the wonderful Michelle.  These two left us so quickly and unexpectedly.  

And I'm certainly grateful for them too - for the privilege of knowing them.  

AND, I'm always grateful for you blog friends - old and new - who stop by here and also keep me entertained at your sites.  Looking forward to more oversharing and whatnot! 

Okay 2022.  I think I'm ready.  Please play nice?

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Linking up this week with Mama Kat for the prompt:

 Share your favorite (remembered) moments of 2021.

chickenpox and dairy free

Rolled out of bed on Sunday feeling tired, achy, a bit chillish /feverish... maybe?  I don't have THE virus, I'm 99% sure.  I finally got 'round to getting my second hit of Shingrix vaccine Saturday afternoon.

Anyone reading had that particular vaccine for Shingles?  Recommended for us over-50 people, but known to have annoying side effects that, as I relived them, are quite similar to COVID-19 without the cough.  It's given in two doses, 2 to 6 months apart.  I got my first hit in early November, and set a reminder for myself four months later. Who knew we'd be in the middle of a global pandemic?

So I waited a bit for the pharmacy frenzy to die down, then headed there on Saturday to get it over with.  I vaguely remember my first hit back in November and then just spending the next day mostly on the couch.  So I planned to do it when I didn't have to work the day after and then thankfully spent a good portion of Sunday on the couch.  The cat seemed to enjoy our time together.  I was happy to rally enough to get out for a nice walk in the immune system-strengthening fresh air and sunshine.  Lots of people outside doing similar.

Monday morning, I awoke as my bright-eyed and bushy-tailed self.  I'm glad to be finished battling Shingrix anyway.  Back to the standard battles of the day.

The hospital remains eerily quiet with no visitors and no one allowed in group areas.  Like the donation to supply free coffee to health care workers, another donation came in yesterday:  cans and cans of this stuff...

I have yet to try it, but it looks good. I'm thinking it packs a caffeinated punch.  Anyone had it?

My manager at the hospital is a nice young guy.  He was asking some of us older types if we remembered ever having to go through something similar to this COVID-19 response.

We all thought a bit, but nope.  One guy said the closest he could think of was 9-11 with the shutting down of airports and everyone glued to the news for days.

Boss says, "Yeah, I remember that.  I was in middle school!"

PSSSSHHHHH!!  Middle school!

Today, we're at home in the new old house and joined by a plumber.  The house has some issues, and this is the first of our major projects to turn the house into a well-oiled architectural machine.  Sometimes it seems like we're not in the situation the world is in.

I'm thankful for running water.