smallhobbit: (Book bibliophile)
[personal profile] smallhobbit
Seven books I own, no caption, no comment.

Book cover Pyramids by Terry Pratchett
musesfool: a loaf of bread (staff of life)
[personal profile] musesfool
Ugh, daylight savings, why are we still doing this???

Anyway, I got up at my usual workday time instead of sleeping in so I could get the onions in the slow cooker, and I did both the "soak onions in cold water in the fridge for 15 minutes" and wore the stupid onion goggles, and still by the 4th onion my eyes were extremely unhappy with me. *hands* Thankfully I only had 6 onions total, so it all got done, and for dinner I made French onion pasta as planned, and now I have dinner for 3 more days as well. I do love this pasta dish - and I always use bucatini, which is one of my favorite pasta shapes, so it was pleasing all around. Every time I make it after not having made in a while, I'm like, why don't I make this more often!? and then I remember the onion-slicing and how annoying it is. Anyway, definitely recommended for a delicious and easy dinner (except for the onion-slicing). I also made bacon so I have lunch for the week also.

I meant to mention this yesterday and forgot, but The Mountain Goats collaborated with Mary Chapin Carpenter to cover World Party: Put the Message in the Box (don't worry if you only recognize one or two of those names - the song is good!).

*
smallhobbit: (Book bibliophile)
[personal profile] smallhobbit
 [personal profile] stonepicnicking_okapi reminded me about this, so I thought if I was going to take part this month, I needed to get on with it.  So, seven books I own, no caption, no comment.  Happy to answer questions in the comments.

 

that wasn't a no

Mar. 7th, 2026 09:07 pm
musesfool: a baseball and bat on the grass (the crack of ash on horsehide)
[personal profile] musesfool
Went to the office yesterday and as much as I enjoyed seeing so many of my co-workers, almost no work got done. it is just not a good use of time if they want us to be productive. Since it's an open office and we are all sitting together with no walls between us, we just chat and jump into each other's conversations and people stop by and also join in, and it's great for socializing but most of my work is stuff that requires concentration and quiet, which is in short supply at the office. But the anniversary celebration is a lot of fun and I probably won't have to attend another one for 4 more years. *g*

Our next in-office day is in late April, and I floated the idea of maybe bringing in baked goods, so I'm already considering what recipe I might choose to make, since I can experiment.

Today, I made these orange shortbread cookies and they're good, though I would zest another orange (I did 2 this time) if I make them again. Also I didn't sift the flour and instead of rolling out the dough and using cookie cutters, I rolled it into a log and just sliced them (after chilling), since they are just for me so there was no need to get fancy.

I also planned to caramelize onions overnight in the slow cooker, but then I ended up engrossed in F.D. Signifier's Tyler Perry video (which is FOUR HOURS long - I have one hour left but I'm taking a break to watch the WBC) and didn't end up doing the slicing I need to do, so I figure I'll do it in the morning, let them slow cook for most of the day, and then make French onion pasta for dinner. Anyway, I have never seen a Tyler Perry movie or show, but F.D. Signifier's videos are always worth watching.

So yeah, I've been sort of paying attention to the WBC and why is the "S" in USA like a strip of curly bacon on the Team USA jersey??? Once I saw it I couldn't unsee it. Also so many of these unis could be cool and yet so many of them are just meh. Design fail, Nike! Come on! Also, I might be rooting for the DR since Juan Soto is on that team; if Lindor were in it, I'd probably be rooting for Puerto Rico. Though of course I was pleased for Clay Holmes just now, and will be interested to see Nolan McLean pitch.

*

The Red Shoes

Mar. 7th, 2026 10:47 am
smallhobbit: (Default)
[personal profile] smallhobbit
Regularly readers of this blog will know that I am a fan of Sir Matthew Bourne's New Adventures productions.  Their current production is The Red Shoes, based on the 1948 film.  Originally, we had planned to see it back in January at Sadler's Wells, in London, but the weather that week was dodgy, which would have upset the trains (GWR trains are very temperamental), so we got a credit for our theatre tickets and booked to see it in Cardiff instead.

We went on Thursday, with a much shorter train journey, arriving in time for lunch and a quick walk around part of Cardiff Bay before heading to the matinée performance.  The Cardiff Millennium Centre is a great venue for productions, and one I'd happily return to.  

The production was everything we'd hoped for.  I last saw it in December 2019, so remembered most of the story, but with different dancers the performance was always going to be new.  The dancing was excellent - I don't think I can pick out anyone in particular, although I was delighted Victoria Page was danced by Cordelia Braithwaite, who I really like.  The staging, music and lighting all helped to enhance it, and I was so pleased we had seen it.

It continues to tour for another couple of months, and then next year, it will be Cinderella.  I'm already thinking of booking tickets.


Music Friday

Mar. 6th, 2026 02:49 pm
muccamukk: Billie tips his face towards the bi-flag sky, eyes closed, as Tré and Mike kiss his cheeks. (Music: Bisexual Green Day)
[personal profile] muccamukk

I guess the joint tour is going well. This is the most wholesome fucking shit I've ever seen.

2026 Photo #5

Mar. 6th, 2026 07:40 pm
smallhobbit: (Default)
[personal profile] smallhobbit
A couple of weeks ago I bought two potted plants, which have since come into full flower


When I'm falling I'm at peace

Mar. 5th, 2026 05:55 pm
musesfool: lester bangs on rock'n'roll (music)
[personal profile] musesfool
Work has been intensely busy these past few days, and tomorrow I have to go into the office because Assistant J is getting a pin for being with the organization for 5 years (even though it's more like six and a half at this point, but no one wants to hear my rant about how anniversaries work again), and I never get much done when I'm in, so we'll see what happens. I do have to take all my tax paperwork and scan it for my accountant. This is much later than usual, eep.

*

Shrinking: Dereks Don't Die
spoiler )

*

Lost Recipes was a really good read "about the legal and logistical barriers arrayed against people trying to archive rap media." to quote the email from Defector that included the link. It made me think about how despite its many, many issues (about which I have heard no news of progress at all, btw), the OTW is doing that work for this section of media fandom, and how important that work is (and how no one else was gonna do it). There's already so much that's gone, and that impacts how our stories get contextualized and passed on (thinking of all the thinkpieces on Heated Rivalry that only reference yaoi and animanga fandom and not Western media fandom, for example) and whatever place in the larger history of media and fandom this corner of it might have. Idk. I do recommend reading that post though, even if you're not a rap fan.

*
smallhobbit: (Book sign)
[personal profile] smallhobbit
I started the year with only 11 books on my TBL list, plus 2 pre-orders, which has now grown to 13 books and 3 pre-orders, but I should clear most, if not all, by the end of the year.  

I've had 2 DNFs, and here are the first 5 I've heard:

Parsley Sidings a BBC radio series, full cast
Typical radio comedy from the early 1970s which still made me laugh.  I listened on and off for a few months, and enjoyed the nostalgia of my early teens.

A Three Dog Problem by S J Bennett, read by Samantha Bond
The second in the series where Queen Elizabeth II solves crimes around the palace.  I'm a republican (Small R!) but find the series entertaining and relaxing.  I have the next two in the series which I shall be listening to later in the year.

The Happiness List by Annie Lyons, read by Jaimi Barbakoff
I enjoy books by Annie Lyons, again easy listening and the people seem very real, even if the Happy Ever After is not entirely realistic - but then, why not have a happy ending for characters we care about?  The Happiness List is about three women who each have their own, very different problems, and are challenged to make a list of things which make them happy over a ten week course.  The items which they include in their individual lists are very relatable.

Dishonour and Obey by Graham Brack, read by Alex Wyndham
The next Master Mercurius title, where Mercurius joins a diplomatic mission to England to arrange the marriage of Princess Mary, the daughter of James, Duke of York, to Stadhouder William of Orange.  There's murder, espionage and general skulduggery.  I shall be adding the next book to my list soon.

Death and Boules by Ian Moore, read by Ian Moore
The latest Follet Valley mystery.  As bizarre as ever, this time involving, amongst other things, a pétanque tournament.  I hope there are more, I really enjoyed listening to this one.

In my defense,

Mar. 3rd, 2026 08:59 pm
goodbyebird: Baldur's Gate 3: Shadowheart with a soft look on her face. (☆ my precious)
[personal profile] goodbyebird
+ Very much had a plan to tidy my bedroom 100%, but then my dryer was like, "nah I'm not going to function" and I derailed completely. There's a couple more things I want to try to see if I can get it sorted, but if not I'll have to call for a repairperson ugh.

...so today I'm focused on cleaning the visible parts of my apartment instead lol.

+ Actually had lunch with a few of my friends today. It's been a while. Like, I didn't manage to meet a single one of them properly before Christmas even. How they all put up with a shut in like myself all these years, I just couldn't tell you. We tried a new noodle place, the food was excellent, I tried a marinated egg for the first time, and we were all laughing and enjoying ourselves.

One of my friends had helped clear out an apartment a couple of days ago, and when she saw the official and un-official guides for The X-Files in the donations box, she decided to grab them for me instead. Very sweet of her, and funny considering she did not know I'd just started watching s1 again.

+ Since AO3 seems to be fairly unstable atm I got some requests to do a new round of [personal profile] ao3_isdown, so come on over.

+ I've been fiddling with the idea for [community profile] fannishtarot and running a Make Your Own Fandom Tarot event for a good long while now, gathering some quotes and such here and there. I think it would be such a rewarding way to deep dive into the tarot and also your own fandom(s) and fannish inclinations. Like, who or what would The Fool be to you in your chosen fandom? I think it'd be an excellent way to internalize a bunch of significators, etc. But I am not getting that started until I have a bunch more prep under my belt lol. I'd basically have to amass six months of posts beforehand, to make room for work schedules, travel, the occasional downtime/brain crash.

But it would be SO cool. I just hope some people will join in.

+ My Dune tarot will be arriving tomorrow, and I'd love to play with it a bunch. Let me know in the comments if you want me to do one of the book's spreads for you.

she won't catch me or break my fall

Mar. 2nd, 2026 02:48 pm
musesfool: rogue one darth vader with lightsaber (i find your lack of faith disturbing)
[personal profile] musesfool
I really enjoyed this season of Bridgerton despite being mostly indifferent to Benedict as a character. Yerin Ha as Sophie was everything - I really hope this launches her into a long, bright career. spoilers )

In other fannish news, I saw some folks on bsky discussing who the best lightsaber duelist is in Star Wars, and since I didn't really know the people being quoted, I took myself to tumblr to post about it. I also texted my eldest nephew, who is the biggest Anakin and Obi-Wan fan I know (which, given some of the fangirls I know, is saying something) and his knee-jerk response was Anakin*. Which is the wrong answer, so we argued back and forth a bit, and he came around to my way of thinking that it has to be Obi-Wan, even though we never see him go up against Palpatine or Mace Windu (who may have beaten Palpatine if not for Anakin).

I did see people saying Ahsoka, because she survives Maul, Vader, and very briefly, Palpatine, but as much as I love her, she survives and escapes. She doesn't win. The list of Obi-Wan's duels is extensive and no one ever even lays a blade on him that I recall (though he doesn't beat Dooku, which was an argument my nephew made, and Anakin eventually does) until he puts up his saber and lets Vader kill him. Like, is Obi-Wan destroyed emotionally and psychologically by dueling with Anakin? One hundred percent! But he still wins until not winning is the best way to win in the long-term.

*I think you can make a case for him when he's Vader, but even then, Obi-Wan beats him on Mustafar and he only wins on the Death Star because Obi-Wan lets him. In the OWK show, he maybe sets Obi-Wan on fire a little but Obi-Wan takes no real damage in any of their fights until the Death Star.

*

Music Monday

Mar. 2nd, 2026 10:45 am

to me, we are all bonita.

Mar. 1st, 2026 08:08 pm
goodbyebird: Fallout: Lucy seen from behind. (Fallout okie dokie)
[personal profile] goodbyebird
+ I may be somewhat trying to cope with the Horrors by making a big purchase, but I done did it: I ordered those oracles and the workbook I was eying + a tarot deck that spoke to me very loudly and was limited in quantities. Hopefully it doesn't take too long before it arrives so I can dip in before it's back off to work. Tomorrow's big plan is tidying and washing my entire bedroom, laundring the curtains, and set up a nice altar space on the top of my dressing commode.

+ Finished Fallout s2 and I'm happy with how their storylines turned out.spoilery comment ) There was a small cut scene at the end in case anybody missed that.

+ Steam NEXT Fest is happening, and as usual I've managed to try next to nothing. Two big recommends: Esoteric Ebb and All Will Rise. They're both text-heavy, your choices matter kind of games. I'm gonna try to get a game in of Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes, Wax Heads, Above The Snow, WOODROT, I'm Making A Monster, Dosa Divas, Bookbinding, Twilight Imperium, and the new Moomintroll entry before the time runs out (in that order). 100% I'm going to fail at that.

btw how I loathe having to keep my enthusiasm in check until I've had a scroll to look for AI usage.

+ Why all science fiction and fantasy writers are historians by Ada Palmer.

+ The SEA Is Whose?, Ethnic Entanglements in Southeast Asian SFF, an essay.

+ European bison arrive in the Iberian Highlands for the first time.

+ Botswana shows how smarter cattle herding can save lions, reopen ancient wildlife pathways.

+ [community profile] youtuberecs is a fun community I just became aware of!

+ Soda Blonde released a new song/video, Suit & Tie, and I dig em both. Weird women in suits on the moors. Mud. Pretty horsie. What's not to like.

+ Forbrukerrådet is a Norwegian consumer council that's focused on making sure customers are treated fairly and not scammed, etc. Big big fan. And they've just released an ad on enshittifaction that is top notch.

The Friday Five: Last Week/Next Week

Mar. 1st, 2026 03:20 pm
smallhobbit: (Default)
[personal profile] smallhobbit
This week's [community profile] thefridayfive questions:

1. What made you happy this week?
I managed to do all the things I particularly wanted to get done

2. What made you sad?
Some of the frustrations of grant applications, but nothing significant - I was fortunate that way.

3. What made you angry?
I try not to get angry at things I can't do anything about, but there are some people whose heads I would like to bang together very firmly.

4. What are you looking forward to in the next week?
Going to see New Adventures The Red Shoes at Cardiff on Thursday

5. What are you not looking forward to?
It's a busy week, so managing to do all the things I would like to get done.

Bingo - National Crafting Month

Mar. 1st, 2026 02:42 pm
smallhobbit: (Default)
[personal profile] smallhobbit
This month's [community profile] allbingo theme is National Crafting Month and this is my card

Spinning WheelCarpentry
Sketch BookPapier-mâche

i look to you and i see nothing

Feb. 28th, 2026 10:05 pm
musesfool: dana evan from the pitt (mostly i want to be kind)
[personal profile] musesfool
Last night, I logged off work and got into bed for a proper nap, none of this half-assed falling asleep on the couch business, and I thought I'd set an alarm so it didn't go more than an hour or so, but it turns out that all I did was open up the clock/alarm app on my phone without setting it, so I woke up at 8:30 pm all befuddled. I decided at that point that fuck it, we ball sleep, so I brushed my teeth, changed into my jammies, and went back to bed. And slept pretty well! I woke up once or twice but had no real trouble getting back to sleep, and then I woke up for good around 7:45 am, so it was like a FIFTEEN HOUR night. Which is bonkers, but I guess I needed it?

Anyway, I did a very small recs update today for February:

[personal profile] unfitforsociety has been updated for February 2026 with 7 recs in 3 fandoms:

* 5 Heated Rivalry and 1 Heated Rivalry/Sesame Street crossover
* 1 The Pitt

Maybe once I finish my DCC reread, I will get back to reading more fic, idk. It's just very hard to pay attention to anything these days, thanks to *gestures* everything.

*

fuck

Feb. 28th, 2026 06:49 am
muccamukk: Chin Ho with head bowed in anger and grief. Text: fuuuuck. (H5-0: Fuuuuck)
[personal profile] muccamukk
Why did I check the news when I got up?

Writing - February 2026

Feb. 28th, 2026 11:43 am
smallhobbit: (writing)
[personal profile] smallhobbit
Just over 10.5K words this month, which is still a good number for me, and brings my annual total so far to 25.5K, allowing breathing space later in the year since my goal for this year is 100K.

For [community profile] allbingo Valentine's month I wrote A Fortunate Meeting starring Miss Marple, who denies being responsible but was certainly involved.

[community profile] small_fandoms had their annual drabblethon and this year I wrote a series (29 drabbles because I needed to include everybody) A Year at the Midnight Bell

[community profile] ushobwri had their annual WiP month, and I finally finished The Last Chapter which is Spooks (MI5) with Lucas faced with more family news.  Although as I was writing it, I had an idea for a follow up, so A Family Saga looks like it may still continue.  I also used this for my entry to this year's [community profile] crackthewip 

And, although written last month, my [personal profile] candyheartsex exchange was posted To Brighten Your Life Discworld Sam Vimes/Sybil Ramkin.

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