Category: Daily Life

Man & Cyberman

May 9, 2016

“You don’t point very well, do you, Grandpa?” said one of my father’s grandsons, critically, when that child was about aged five. It’s true, though. Grandpa didn’t point very well, because 15+ years ago my Dad developed what’s called an essential tremor, which is, as I understand it, basically a short in the electrical wiring of the brain that causes (usually) the sufferer’s dominant hand to shake uncontrollably, but which can also affect the other hand, the head, and the gait. Dad, never one to do things by half measures,…

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aesthetic: 21st century gibson girl

April 20, 2016

I dream of a world in which I have a Look. A Vibe. A Fashion. A Thing of some goddamn kind, anyway. As I’m a fan of the whole multiverse concept, I believe that that world probably exists, but sadly, it’s not this world. Once in a while, though, I have a day of Aesthetic. Today is 21st Century Gibson Girl, courtesy of twisting my hair up into a bun (which I haven’t done in forever) and my ankle-length, kickpleated-to-the-hip, poofed-shoulder, princess-seamed black velvet-collared coat. People really give you a…

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all the presidents (men)

April 19, 2016

I was–well, really–trying to bore myself to sleep the other night by seeing how many of the US presidents I could remember. Fewer than 20, reliably, as it turned out. The whole thing went like this: Obama, Bush Jr, Clinton, Bush Sr, Reagan, Carter…wait, uh. Spiro Agnew wasn’t ever actually president, who was it in there…well. nevermind, Nixon, Johnson, Kennedy, then, uh, Eisenhower probably, Truman, FDR for sure…H…Hoover? No, he was the FBI guy… WILSON DEFINITELY WE GOT WILSON YEAH uh…Teddy Roosevelt… …GRANT AND LINCOLN FOR SURE but no who…

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Kitsnacks: Homemade Pop Tarts

April 14, 2016

Many years ago, presumably before Pop Tarts began to be a thing that occasionally showed up on Irish grocery store shelves, I got the idea into my head that one could, y’know, probably MAKE them. I looked for recipes, but never got around to making them. A couple weekends ago I was making pot pie anyway and thought I should make up an extra batch of pie crust and try ’em. oh my flippin’ stars. I used my basic pie crust recipe and added about a quarter cup of sugar…

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these are a few of my favourite…words…!

April 13, 2016

I had the opportunity to use my favourite word this morning, and then I thought: favourite words are a thing, right? they’re totally a thing! people have favourite words! RIGHT?! A brief enquiry on Twitter incidated that yes, other people also have favourite words. “Defenestration” is remarkably popular. I had an “acquiesce” (“Love that triphthong.”) and a “semester” (Swedish for ‘vacation’) and an ‘obstensibly’, which I can also really get behind, because what a great word to say. It’s delicious! My own favourite word is antepenultimate, which I love not…

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