And then there's this
Sep. 3rd, 2025 04:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
twistedchickI sent copies of my exchanges with my former aunt to my cousin Susan, the only one on that side of the family whom I'm in contact with. She told me in response that she nearly snorted her coffee when reading them. She hasn't gotten along with that aunt for decades, and manages to avoid dealing with her by being the youngest of her sibs (the aunt likes the two older ones.)
She and I are now the Two Black Sheep of the family, which makes me happy.
She and I are now the Two Black Sheep of the family, which makes me happy.
Life is being only moderately odd today
Sep. 3rd, 2025 03:37 pmtwistedchickI seem to live between odd dichotomies these days.
It's hard to go to sleep, in part because of lack of noise. I have just enough tinitis that when I can't hear the traffic it's hard to sleep; think of permanent mosquito in your ear. I found a technique in FB reels for tapping hard on the bone behind the ear that gets rid of the worst of it, but it doesn't always work. So I use an app called Calm, which has 'soundscapes' including things like six different kinds of rainfall, waterfalls, forests of various kinds and white, pink and brown noises, find whatever works for me that night and leave it on all night. That helps. Or I could stay awake till nearly 4, when the noise from the Capital Beltway a quarter mile south of me cranks up to its general daily roar.
A friend suggested that I get a night light for the bathroom in the shape of a capybara, or in her words, 'an imperturbable capybara'. So I did get it, and have it set to the lowest level of light, but I am not yet used to any light there. Normally I have my Kindle nearby, and when I need to get to the bathroom I flip the cover open and use it as a night light. Last night, the capybara was sitting imperturbably on my toothbrush holder, but its light shone out on a wall that I'm not used to having lit, so I had to remind myself that I had a friendly and non-aggressive critter there shining the light (I need reminders when I'm almost asleep but my body discerns something different.)
That meant that I slept on my left side last night, with my face away from the lit wall. Which, for most other people, would not be a problem, but I have all my life had a slightly curved spine, leaning to the left. (During the 2000s, I was doing deepwater running twice a week and the supported floating combined with gravity straightened my spine out, but I have not done it in several years now bcC (because Covid) and it is leaning a little. When I sleep on that side it leans more. As a remedy my husband put up a bar in one of the doorways that I can reach up and grab and dangle myself from, and my own weight straightens my back out painlessly. A side effect of the bar is that my grip strength has increased a bit, so I could do better at pulling out vines yesterday.
Much more of this balancing and I may start thinking of Philippe Petit balancing on the rope between the Two Towers, long ago.
It's hard to go to sleep, in part because of lack of noise. I have just enough tinitis that when I can't hear the traffic it's hard to sleep; think of permanent mosquito in your ear. I found a technique in FB reels for tapping hard on the bone behind the ear that gets rid of the worst of it, but it doesn't always work. So I use an app called Calm, which has 'soundscapes' including things like six different kinds of rainfall, waterfalls, forests of various kinds and white, pink and brown noises, find whatever works for me that night and leave it on all night. That helps. Or I could stay awake till nearly 4, when the noise from the Capital Beltway a quarter mile south of me cranks up to its general daily roar.
A friend suggested that I get a night light for the bathroom in the shape of a capybara, or in her words, 'an imperturbable capybara'. So I did get it, and have it set to the lowest level of light, but I am not yet used to any light there. Normally I have my Kindle nearby, and when I need to get to the bathroom I flip the cover open and use it as a night light. Last night, the capybara was sitting imperturbably on my toothbrush holder, but its light shone out on a wall that I'm not used to having lit, so I had to remind myself that I had a friendly and non-aggressive critter there shining the light (I need reminders when I'm almost asleep but my body discerns something different.)
That meant that I slept on my left side last night, with my face away from the lit wall. Which, for most other people, would not be a problem, but I have all my life had a slightly curved spine, leaning to the left. (During the 2000s, I was doing deepwater running twice a week and the supported floating combined with gravity straightened my spine out, but I have not done it in several years now bcC (because Covid) and it is leaning a little. When I sleep on that side it leans more. As a remedy my husband put up a bar in one of the doorways that I can reach up and grab and dangle myself from, and my own weight straightens my back out painlessly. A side effect of the bar is that my grip strength has increased a bit, so I could do better at pulling out vines yesterday.
Much more of this balancing and I may start thinking of Philippe Petit balancing on the rope between the Two Towers, long ago.
Fancake Theme for September: Food & Cooking
Sep. 3rd, 2025 07:49 amrunpunkrun posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
fandomcalendar
fancake is a thematic recommendation community where all members are welcome to post recs, and fanworks of all shapes and sizes are accepted. Check out the community guidelines for the full set of rules. This theme runs for the entire month. If you have any questions, just ask!
Going back to work
Sep. 2nd, 2025 05:09 pmresonantI start my new job tomorrow! My brain is a hive of bees.
I've been out of work since I was laid off in July 2024. It would have been really inconvenient to be working for a lot of that time, as I was helping my brother see our mother through her decline and death from dementia and also having some serious health issues of my own. (And Mom left me some money, which allowed me to say "I'm too stressed to job-hunt" and then not job-hunt, a rare luxury that I'm very grateful for.)
But I have to admit I've also been bored and restless and lonely. It will be nice to have co-workers, and tasks, and a paycheck again.
On the other hand, it's been thirteen months since I consistently had to be any place in particular in the morning. And the cat is going to be sad.
I've been out of work since I was laid off in July 2024. It would have been really inconvenient to be working for a lot of that time, as I was helping my brother see our mother through her decline and death from dementia and also having some serious health issues of my own. (And Mom left me some money, which allowed me to say "I'm too stressed to job-hunt" and then not job-hunt, a rare luxury that I'm very grateful for.)
But I have to admit I've also been bored and restless and lonely. It will be nice to have co-workers, and tasks, and a paycheck again.
On the other hand, it's been thirteen months since I consistently had to be any place in particular in the morning. And the cat is going to be sad.
Fiction, including an unhappy rant at the end
Sep. 2nd, 2025 03:49 pmrivkatEdward Abbey, The Monkey Wrench Gang: ( Ecoterrorists )
Ben Aaronovitch, Stone and Sky: ( Abigail to the front )
Rachel Hartman, Among Ghosts:( ghosts versus abusive family )
Adrian Tchaikovsky, Bee Speaker: ( Mars to the rescue (?) )
KJ Charles, Death in the Spires: ( murder among the swells )
Antonia Hodgson, The Raven Scholar: ( my favorite book so far this year )
The Best Science Fiction of the Year: Volume One (2018), ed. Neil Clarke: ( the pulse of the moment )
Richard Siken, I Do Know Some Things: ( prose poems )
Scott Carson, Departure 37: ( eerie phone calls )
Charlie Jane Anders, Lessons in Magic and Disaster: ( magic and community )
Melissa Caruso, The Tethered Mage:( palace intrigue and magic )
Chuck Tingle, Lucky Day: ( Not for me, sorry )
Kate Elliott, The Witch Roads:( survival in a dangerous magic world )
KJ Charles, A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel: ( more m/m in rural England )
Ray Nayler, ( Three very interesting books )
Matt Dinniman, Every Grain of Sand: The Shivered Sky - Book 1: ( Nope, need more Donut )
Ada Palmer, Too Like the Lightning( also not for me )
Allie Therin, ( 2/3 of a paranormal m/m trilogy )
Mira Grant, Overgrowth: ( Rant incoming! )
Ben Aaronovitch, Stone and Sky: ( Abigail to the front )
Rachel Hartman, Among Ghosts:( ghosts versus abusive family )
Adrian Tchaikovsky, Bee Speaker: ( Mars to the rescue (?) )
KJ Charles, Death in the Spires: ( murder among the swells )
Antonia Hodgson, The Raven Scholar: ( my favorite book so far this year )
The Best Science Fiction of the Year: Volume One (2018), ed. Neil Clarke: ( the pulse of the moment )
Richard Siken, I Do Know Some Things: ( prose poems )
Scott Carson, Departure 37: ( eerie phone calls )
Charlie Jane Anders, Lessons in Magic and Disaster: ( magic and community )
Melissa Caruso, The Tethered Mage:( palace intrigue and magic )
Chuck Tingle, Lucky Day: ( Not for me, sorry )
Kate Elliott, The Witch Roads:( survival in a dangerous magic world )
KJ Charles, A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel: ( more m/m in rural England )
Ray Nayler, ( Three very interesting books )
Matt Dinniman, Every Grain of Sand: The Shivered Sky - Book 1: ( Nope, need more Donut )
Ada Palmer, Too Like the Lightning( also not for me )
Allie Therin, ( 2/3 of a paranormal m/m trilogy )
Mira Grant, Overgrowth: ( Rant incoming! )
Batman: Say Uncle by Megaerakles
Sep. 1st, 2025 11:43 pmbeatrice_otter posting in fancakeFandom: Batman
Pairings/Characters: Jason Todd, Tim Drake
Rating: teen
Length: 46k
Creator Links:![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
Megaerakles
Theme: food, fork in the road AU, domestic, family, fixit, gen, happy endings, secret identity reveal,
Summary: Tim is prepared to take the steps necessary to ensure that Bruce will not feel obligated to adopt Tim when a comatose Jack Drake inevitably dies. But what could be better than preventing Bruce from ending up with a son he doesn't want? Bringing back the one he does.
Jason agrees to the Replacement's stupid, stupid plan to invite some strange adult man he's never met to come live with him, if only to keep the idiot alive long enough for him to serve his purpose in the Great Red Hood Revenge Scheme.
Might this new roommate situation have an impact on either of their worldviews? Surely not...
Reccer's Notes: Both Tim and Jason are oblivious idiots in the best way in this. And Jason shows love through cooking (and teaching how to cook).
Fanwork Links: Say Uncle
Pairings/Characters: Jason Todd, Tim Drake
Rating: teen
Length: 46k
Creator Links:
Theme: food, fork in the road AU, domestic, family, fixit, gen, happy endings, secret identity reveal,
Summary: Tim is prepared to take the steps necessary to ensure that Bruce will not feel obligated to adopt Tim when a comatose Jack Drake inevitably dies. But what could be better than preventing Bruce from ending up with a son he doesn't want? Bringing back the one he does.
Jason agrees to the Replacement's stupid, stupid plan to invite some strange adult man he's never met to come live with him, if only to keep the idiot alive long enough for him to serve his purpose in the Great Red Hood Revenge Scheme.
Might this new roommate situation have an impact on either of their worldviews? Surely not...
Reccer's Notes: Both Tim and Jason are oblivious idiots in the best way in this. And Jason shows love through cooking (and teaching how to cook).
Fanwork Links: Say Uncle
MCU: Dinner In Other Languages by tielan
Sep. 1st, 2025 11:05 pmbeatrice_otter posting in fancakeFandom: MCU
Pairings/Characters: Steve Rogers/Maria Hill
Rating: Gen
Length: 3107 words
Creator Links:tielan
Theme: food, working together, friends with benefits, female characters,
Summary: Maria can manage professional colleagues with Rogers, but she values her place in S.H.I.E.L.D more.
Reccer's Notes: Tielan's specialty is female characters who get overlooked by the rest of fandom, and I love the way she writes Maria Hill: a complex woman doing a difficult job in a world that doesn't respect her. And I love the way she writes Steve: a man who deeply and sincerely respects (and falls for) competent women.
Fanwork Links: Dinner In Other Languages
Pairings/Characters: Steve Rogers/Maria Hill
Rating: Gen
Length: 3107 words
Creator Links:
tielan Theme: food, working together, friends with benefits, female characters,
Summary: Maria can manage professional colleagues with Rogers, but she values her place in S.H.I.E.L.D more.
Reccer's Notes: Tielan's specialty is female characters who get overlooked by the rest of fandom, and I love the way she writes Maria Hill: a complex woman doing a difficult job in a world that doesn't respect her. And I love the way she writes Steve: a man who deeply and sincerely respects (and falls for) competent women.
Fanwork Links: Dinner In Other Languages
FIC: Fidelis (Our Flag Means Death, Fang/Izzy Hands)
Sep. 1st, 2025 01:02 pmdelphiTitle: Fidelis
Fandom: Our Flag Means Death
Relationship: Fang/Izzy Hands
Rating: Teen
Word Count: ~5600
Content Info: This fic is set in the afterlife. There is major character death referenced, but the characters in question are still present in the story.
Summary: Izzy has spent the last decade on a small island in the middle of nowhere with only a dog for company. One day, an old friend comes to call.
Notes: Inspired by the ‘Fang’ and ‘Water’ squares of my 2025 Izzy Hands Bingo card. Also available on AO3.
( Fidelis )
Fandom: Our Flag Means Death
Relationship: Fang/Izzy Hands
Rating: Teen
Word Count: ~5600
Content Info: This fic is set in the afterlife. There is major character death referenced, but the characters in question are still present in the story.
Summary: Izzy has spent the last decade on a small island in the middle of nowhere with only a dog for company. One day, an old friend comes to call.
Notes: Inspired by the ‘Fang’ and ‘Water’ squares of my 2025 Izzy Hands Bingo card. Also available on AO3.
( Fidelis )
Sherlock Holmes: Tea, Coffee, and a Bite of Beef by MadamzelleG
Sep. 1st, 2025 11:17 amkingstoken posting in fancakeFandom: Sherlock Holmes (Books/Granada)
Pairings/Characters: Holmes/Watson
Rating: G
Length: 1114 words
Creator Links: MadamzelleG
Theme: food & cooking
Summary: Holmes never orders dinner for himself, but Watson has long since stopped asking why. Instead, he allows the quiet ritual to unfold—Holmes sipping his coffee, stealing a bite here and there from Watson’s plate with effortless precision. In the warm glow of the Café Royal, amidst the murmur of conversation and the clink of silverware, an unspoken understanding lingers between them: Holmes takes, and Watson never minds.
Reccer's Notes: An intimate little scene of Watson and Holmes dining out together. With some exploration of Holmes' canon issues around food, but not in clinical way, more like Watson observing Holmes.
Fanwork Links: Ao3
Pairings/Characters: Holmes/Watson
Rating: G
Length: 1114 words
Creator Links: MadamzelleG
Theme: food & cooking
Summary: Holmes never orders dinner for himself, but Watson has long since stopped asking why. Instead, he allows the quiet ritual to unfold—Holmes sipping his coffee, stealing a bite here and there from Watson’s plate with effortless precision. In the warm glow of the Café Royal, amidst the murmur of conversation and the clink of silverware, an unspoken understanding lingers between them: Holmes takes, and Watson never minds.
Reccer's Notes: An intimate little scene of Watson and Holmes dining out together. With some exploration of Holmes' canon issues around food, but not in clinical way, more like Watson observing Holmes.
Fanwork Links: Ao3