Progress...
Jul. 9th, 2025 07:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
koshka_the_catThe armhole is finished and I started binding the neckline.
Plenty of time! I have until the 30th...
Plenty of time! I have until the 30th...
I have done a thing!
Jul. 9th, 2025 06:42 pmbrickhousewenchProbably none of this will make any sense to people, but I'm super proud of myself, so I'm gonna write about it. This is kinda a follow up post to the one I made about a week ago, so maybe go read that one for background?
Our new Helm Maintainers group has been really cranking. To date we have:
* Closed 47 pull requests as already fixed, duplicates, or no longer needed.
* Actually reviewed, updated, and merged 11 pull requests.
Our automation is supposed to release the updated Helm charts once a week, but since the developers weren’t getting around to doing code reviews, we weren’t having any updates, so the guy who set up our automation turned off the weekly releases. Which I kinda suspected after I looked at all the workflows and saw that they hadn’t been triggered in two months. So when out weekly team meeting ended early on Tuesday, I messaged him right after the call ended and asked, since we had twenty minutes free, if he could talk me through the workflows. Because there were five different workflows with “helm” in the name, and I wanted to understand which ones did what.
He talked me through all of them. And I took notes. And after I got off the call with him, I wrote up my notes in a Google Doc and shared it with the two Developer Advocates that I’m working with. Because I’m a technical writer, it’s what I do. And also, we shouldn’t be in a situation where only one guy knows how all this works. Then I was going to knock off for the day. But I’m promised myself (and posted on the Community Slack) that I’d make sure we got a release out on Tuesday. So I pushed the button. And instead of generating a new PR, it updated an existing PR that I didn’t realize was still hanging around (I’d closed a bunch of that were at least two months old). I pinged the developer and he said that was expected behavior. Then I was going to wait until this morning to merge the PR. But I wanted to push the button.
So Reader, I pushed the button.
I could see immediately that the Helm Chart version was updated in our repository. But one of the workflows was to publish the chart to another repo and to the ArtifactHub, which is where people download them from. And I didn’t see it published, even after I cleared my browser cache. I had dinner, checked back, still didn’t see it. Then, when I was really ready to finally shut down for the night and stop watching, the chart in ArtifactHub finally updated.
So I did a thing. Because we hadn’t run the workflows in two months, I wasn’t sure if they were going to work or not (we had a security incident back at the end of April and had to replace all our authorization tokens and I keep finding workflows that we missed, because we haven’t used them since then). But everything worked, just the way it was supposed to. And I published a new set of Helm Charts. Whoo hoo!
Our new Helm Maintainers group has been really cranking. To date we have:
* Closed 47 pull requests as already fixed, duplicates, or no longer needed.
* Actually reviewed, updated, and merged 11 pull requests.
Our automation is supposed to release the updated Helm charts once a week, but since the developers weren’t getting around to doing code reviews, we weren’t having any updates, so the guy who set up our automation turned off the weekly releases. Which I kinda suspected after I looked at all the workflows and saw that they hadn’t been triggered in two months. So when out weekly team meeting ended early on Tuesday, I messaged him right after the call ended and asked, since we had twenty minutes free, if he could talk me through the workflows. Because there were five different workflows with “helm” in the name, and I wanted to understand which ones did what.
He talked me through all of them. And I took notes. And after I got off the call with him, I wrote up my notes in a Google Doc and shared it with the two Developer Advocates that I’m working with. Because I’m a technical writer, it’s what I do. And also, we shouldn’t be in a situation where only one guy knows how all this works. Then I was going to knock off for the day. But I’m promised myself (and posted on the Community Slack) that I’d make sure we got a release out on Tuesday. So I pushed the button. And instead of generating a new PR, it updated an existing PR that I didn’t realize was still hanging around (I’d closed a bunch of that were at least two months old). I pinged the developer and he said that was expected behavior. Then I was going to wait until this morning to merge the PR. But I wanted to push the button.
So Reader, I pushed the button.
I could see immediately that the Helm Chart version was updated in our repository. But one of the workflows was to publish the chart to another repo and to the ArtifactHub, which is where people download them from. And I didn’t see it published, even after I cleared my browser cache. I had dinner, checked back, still didn’t see it. Then, when I was really ready to finally shut down for the night and stop watching, the chart in ArtifactHub finally updated.
So I did a thing. Because we hadn’t run the workflows in two months, I wasn’t sure if they were going to work or not (we had a security incident back at the end of April and had to replace all our authorization tokens and I keep finding workflows that we missed, because we haven’t used them since then). But everything worked, just the way it was supposed to. And I published a new set of Helm Charts. Whoo hoo!
WTF Wednesday - Home Owners Association fees
Jul. 9th, 2025 06:38 pmbrickhousewenchhttps://www.businessinsider.com/baby-boomer-hoa-homeowners-association-fees-downsizing-retirement-home-sales-2025-3
Older homeowners tell Business Insider that steep HOA fees are making it harder to downsize.
The average HOA fee has soared 42% since 2019, worsening housing affordability.
And a growing number of US homes are governed by HOAs.
Like many older homeowners, [Patrick Luzzi would] like to downsize to a single-story home that he can comfortably age in. But after nearly two years of searching for a suitable condo in his home county of Westchester, he's not sure he can afford to.
Luzzi looked into a condo complex in the town of Somers, New York, about 40 minutes north of him, but was discouraged to find that the HOA fees run between $1,600 and $2,000 a month, he said.
According to the US Census Bureau, the average HOA fee in the US was $243 a month in 2023. That's 42% higher than the average HOA fee in 2019, which was $170.
$2000 a month? WTF? My condo fees currently stand at $521 a month, but that’s not just paying for the dumpster, landscaping, and snow removal. We also have a pool (that I have never used). And our gas heat (and cooking) is included in the monthly fee. I’d think it was outrageous if our heat wasn’t included.
Older homeowners tell Business Insider that steep HOA fees are making it harder to downsize.
The average HOA fee has soared 42% since 2019, worsening housing affordability.
And a growing number of US homes are governed by HOAs.
Like many older homeowners, [Patrick Luzzi would] like to downsize to a single-story home that he can comfortably age in. But after nearly two years of searching for a suitable condo in his home county of Westchester, he's not sure he can afford to.
Luzzi looked into a condo complex in the town of Somers, New York, about 40 minutes north of him, but was discouraged to find that the HOA fees run between $1,600 and $2,000 a month, he said.
According to the US Census Bureau, the average HOA fee in the US was $243 a month in 2023. That's 42% higher than the average HOA fee in 2019, which was $170.
$2000 a month? WTF? My condo fees currently stand at $521 a month, but that’s not just paying for the dumpster, landscaping, and snow removal. We also have a pool (that I have never used). And our gas heat (and cooking) is included in the monthly fee. I’d think it was outrageous if our heat wasn’t included.
A little
Jul. 8th, 2025 09:03 pmkoshka_the_catSeams bound, neckline and armscye pinned down ready for ironing and seam binding, beads bought at a local store.
I still need to come up with a design. Sequins, rhinestones, seed and bugle beads, so I'll come up with something pretty!
I still need to come up with a design. Sequins, rhinestones, seed and bugle beads, so I'll come up with something pretty!
It's here!
Jul. 8th, 2025 01:28 pmbrickhousewenchMy new vacuum just arrived! A day early!
I know what I'm doing after work.
ETA - And I worked late and ran out of steam. It might have to wait until the weekend. =(
I know what I'm doing after work.
ETA - And I worked late and ran out of steam. It might have to wait until the weekend. =(
Progress!
Jul. 7th, 2025 02:13 pmkoshka_the_catThe machine sewing on the Lanvin dress is done. Next up, placket, snaps, and a hook at the waist, seam binding, necklace and armscye binding, and piping the waist.
I was going to do the skirt and then the placket from bodice to skirt, then read the reprint pattern and it has you do the bodice placket, pipe the waist, then add the skirt. That will be much easier than beading with the skirt attached!
I haven't patterned the skirt yet, but it's just a rectangle with an overlap.
I was going to do the skirt and then the placket from bodice to skirt, then read the reprint pattern and it has you do the bodice placket, pipe the waist, then add the skirt. That will be much easier than beading with the skirt attached!
I haven't patterned the skirt yet, but it's just a rectangle with an overlap.
Weekend Update - Getting Shit Done
Jul. 7th, 2025 10:26 ambrickhousewenchSaturday and Sunday were devoted to getting MOAR shit done around the house.
This weekend I tried to do at least one 20/10 in each room of the house (that's another UFYH trick).
In the bedroom I took down the Christmas lights in the sunroom, because someone complained about them (technically they’re illegal, but other people have way more fugly illegal junk on their balconies and decks, it’s just that my simple white Christmas lights are at eye level as you walk into our building. Then I weeded the T-shirt drawers, because I’d gotten to the point where I have too many t-shirts to be able to fit them in the dresser and they’ve been piling up on my bedroom chair. Then I weeded the bra drawer, and got rid of anything that I don’t wear or is too stretched out. Then I weeded the underwear drawer and tossed a couple of pairs where the elastic was starting to fail.
I called Mom around lunchtime on Saturday to tell her really quick about an article I’d read that I thought would interest her. We only chatted for a few minutes, because they were busy with their after lunch card game. But then she called me back around 3:00 to let me know that they’d had an offer on the condo they've been trying to sell for months now. And mom accepted before dad could dither too long about it. So yay, the second condo is finally sold!
After mom called me the second time I realized that I was pretty tired. I started exercising this week, and between that and all the housework on Friday, my body was pretty cranky with me. So I had a snack and sat in the Comfy Chair for about two hours. Then I had a long shower and washed my hair, because I wasn’t fit for polite company at that point. The hot shower also helped loosen up my tight back.
I threw in a load of laundry and decided to pretty much call it a day once I got that all folded and put away (which is why the t-shirt drawer got weeded).
Sunday I tried to fix the vacuum, because it’s been clogged and wasn’t sucking. But it turns out it wasn’t clogged, it’s just on its last legs. I ordered a new vacuum, but it won’t be here until Wednesday at the earliest. And my carpets are just grotty, and now I have to wait a couple more days for the new vacuum to come in (and for me to make time to assemble it) before I can do the Hoovering. BAH! I might have to vacuum every day for a week once it arrives, just to see how much dirt I can get up before I pull out the steam cleaner and tackle the stains.
Not being able to vacuum really threw me off, and I can’t say that I got as much done as I’d hoped after I discovered that I wasn’t going to be able to fix it. But I did spend a lot of time just putting random things away, trying to clear some surfaces. Hanging up clothes, shelving books, putting things back in their cabinets or drawers. And things are starting to look SO much better around here. I’ve been slowly getting caught up on tidying, but this weekend was a big leap forward in that I got through enough tidying to actually get to do some cleaning before I ran out of steam. I wouldn’t quite call the house “clean” right now, but the kitchen and bedroom are SO MUCH better than they were at the beginning of the weekend. If I can get in a couple more productive weekends this summer, I will be quite pleased with myself.
This week (month?) I’ll be taking a crack at the books and papers in the living room. I’d really like to move down at least one more photo on the hoarding reference scale. Just to be clear, I don’t think my kitchen or bedroom has ever been worse than a three, but the living room? My living room is probably about a five right now. And I’d like to get it down to a three. But that means purging boxes and papers and books. So purging stuff out of the living room is going to be my ongoing project for the rest of the summer.
This weekend I tried to do at least one 20/10 in each room of the house (that's another UFYH trick).
In the bedroom I took down the Christmas lights in the sunroom, because someone complained about them (technically they’re illegal, but other people have way more fugly illegal junk on their balconies and decks, it’s just that my simple white Christmas lights are at eye level as you walk into our building. Then I weeded the T-shirt drawers, because I’d gotten to the point where I have too many t-shirts to be able to fit them in the dresser and they’ve been piling up on my bedroom chair. Then I weeded the bra drawer, and got rid of anything that I don’t wear or is too stretched out. Then I weeded the underwear drawer and tossed a couple of pairs where the elastic was starting to fail.
I called Mom around lunchtime on Saturday to tell her really quick about an article I’d read that I thought would interest her. We only chatted for a few minutes, because they were busy with their after lunch card game. But then she called me back around 3:00 to let me know that they’d had an offer on the condo they've been trying to sell for months now. And mom accepted before dad could dither too long about it. So yay, the second condo is finally sold!
After mom called me the second time I realized that I was pretty tired. I started exercising this week, and between that and all the housework on Friday, my body was pretty cranky with me. So I had a snack and sat in the Comfy Chair for about two hours. Then I had a long shower and washed my hair, because I wasn’t fit for polite company at that point. The hot shower also helped loosen up my tight back.
I threw in a load of laundry and decided to pretty much call it a day once I got that all folded and put away (which is why the t-shirt drawer got weeded).
Sunday I tried to fix the vacuum, because it’s been clogged and wasn’t sucking. But it turns out it wasn’t clogged, it’s just on its last legs. I ordered a new vacuum, but it won’t be here until Wednesday at the earliest. And my carpets are just grotty, and now I have to wait a couple more days for the new vacuum to come in (and for me to make time to assemble it) before I can do the Hoovering. BAH! I might have to vacuum every day for a week once it arrives, just to see how much dirt I can get up before I pull out the steam cleaner and tackle the stains.
Not being able to vacuum really threw me off, and I can’t say that I got as much done as I’d hoped after I discovered that I wasn’t going to be able to fix it. But I did spend a lot of time just putting random things away, trying to clear some surfaces. Hanging up clothes, shelving books, putting things back in their cabinets or drawers. And things are starting to look SO much better around here. I’ve been slowly getting caught up on tidying, but this weekend was a big leap forward in that I got through enough tidying to actually get to do some cleaning before I ran out of steam. I wouldn’t quite call the house “clean” right now, but the kitchen and bedroom are SO MUCH better than they were at the beginning of the weekend. If I can get in a couple more productive weekends this summer, I will be quite pleased with myself.
This week (month?) I’ll be taking a crack at the books and papers in the living room. I’d really like to move down at least one more photo on the hoarding reference scale. Just to be clear, I don’t think my kitchen or bedroom has ever been worse than a three, but the living room? My living room is probably about a five right now. And I’d like to get it down to a three. But that means purging boxes and papers and books. So purging stuff out of the living room is going to be my ongoing project for the rest of the summer.
Progress...
Jul. 6th, 2025 07:16 pmkoshka_the_catI've been working a little on the gala dress each day. The contrast is sewn on, the darts are basted in, and the flat lining is basted on. I usually don't do that, but wanted to because of the bias neckline. Hopefully machine things tomorrow...
Welp, the vacuum has died
Jul. 6th, 2025 03:44 pmbrickhousewenchI took the vacuum apart today. I thought it was clogged because it hasn't been sucking very well. When I try to vacuum, it's more like it's just pushing the dirt around on the carpets, even though the roller is rolling.
It's not clogged.
I took the whole thing apart, and I used the long skinny brush (looks like an oversized pipe cleaner) that I bought to clean out the dryer vent to make sure that each section of the darn thing was clear. Because the last time I cleaned all the hair off the rollers, I did what I usually do and just sucked up the pile of hair instead of having to pick it up. I had assumed that pile of hair was stuck somewhere in the innards. But nope, it appears that my vacuum has just decided to stop sucking. Even though it's got a (relatively) new HEPA filter and a clean bag.
I bought this one back in 2012, and considering how many times I've replaced the belts, and what the poor roller looks like, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that it's just about dead. I checked Consumer Reports, and then looked around at a bunch of different company websites to try to find the model that I wanted. I ended up buying it off Amazon (curses!) because I couldn't find it anywhere else. So I guess instead of vacuuming today, I'm going to be vacuuming later in the week. *le sigh*
It's not clogged.
I took the whole thing apart, and I used the long skinny brush (looks like an oversized pipe cleaner) that I bought to clean out the dryer vent to make sure that each section of the darn thing was clear. Because the last time I cleaned all the hair off the rollers, I did what I usually do and just sucked up the pile of hair instead of having to pick it up. I had assumed that pile of hair was stuck somewhere in the innards. But nope, it appears that my vacuum has just decided to stop sucking. Even though it's got a (relatively) new HEPA filter and a clean bag.
I bought this one back in 2012, and considering how many times I've replaced the belts, and what the poor roller looks like, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that it's just about dead. I checked Consumer Reports, and then looked around at a bunch of different company websites to try to find the model that I wanted. I ended up buying it off Amazon (curses!) because I couldn't find it anywhere else. So I guess instead of vacuuming today, I'm going to be vacuuming later in the week. *le sigh*
Tom, Day 2
Jul. 5th, 2025 07:03 pmkoshka_the_catOur neighbor put a collar on Tom. He was fine with it. Today I got him a name tag with our phone numbers in case he heads back for the streets. He hasn't been too interested in the door though, so hopefully he's good.
Poppy and Sid seem ok with him. Last night's fireworks (what's there even though celebrate?) really freaked them all out though.
I think his trial period is over. Welcome home, Tom!
Poppy and Sid seem ok with him. Last night's fireworks (what's there even though celebrate?) really freaked them all out though.
I think his trial period is over. Welcome home, Tom!
Neighbors
Jul. 5th, 2025 12:27 pmbrickhousewenchI ran into my upstairs neighbor Pat on her way out the door yesterday. I haven’t seen her in ages and I’ve been worried about her, because she’s elderly and has mobility problems. And I hadn’t seen her car in the parking lot, so I worried about if she was in the hospital? But this week a different car had appeared in her parking space, which is right next to mine. We had a chat while she slowly (she’s using a cane) walked out to her new-to-her car. She’d sold the new one (which was an SUV and too tall for her to climb into) to her son, and had bought a used car that was low enough that she could actually get into it. I stuck around to make sure she could adjust the seat in case she needed help. (It's that new to her, and she said this is the first time she's been out of the house in A YEAR). I remembered the last time I'd talked to her she'd said how much she hated her (previous) new car.
She invited me to drop in any time to chat, because we’re both a bit lonely. I will take her up on that, and make sure I get her phone number so that she can text me if she needs anything now that Marc (who used to help her a bit with things like carrying groceries upstairs for her) has moved out.
She invited me to drop in any time to chat, because we’re both a bit lonely. I will take her up on that, and make sure I get her phone number so that she can text me if she needs anything now that Marc (who used to help her a bit with things like carrying groceries upstairs for her) has moved out.
Friday - Getting Shit Done
Jul. 4th, 2025 09:10 pmbrickhousewenchToday was all about getting shit done around the house.
I washed two throw blankets/kitty blankets
I walked all the broken down shipping boxes out to the dumpster
I replaced two burnt out lightbulbs
I walked around the house with a trash bag and just picked up trash (this is a UFYH trick). And then I made sure that bag made its way out to the dumpster, because I didn’t want it sitting around the house.
I tried an internet hack that I saw somewhere. Of course, now I can’t find where I saw it, but whatever. I used four tension rods to create a shelf in the hallway above the doorway to the sewing room where I can put my stash of TP, paper towels, and Kleenex. I rather like it, and it helped clear some of the stuff that I’ve had stored on top of the dryer for ages.
I washed a ton of dishes. I’ve almost finished washing all the everyday dishes. Saturday I’ll wash the pots and pans and then start on the other things that have been sitting around waiting to get washed (the cat feeders and fountains, so I can finally put those away, some ceramic planters from my dead plants, a bunch of holiday cookie tins, etc.).
The nice thing about today is that it sets me up nicely for things I want to do tomorrow in the kitchen. Like clean the counters and kitchen sink (have to deal with the dirty dishes first) and cleaning the stove top (need to clean the pots and pans first).
I washed two throw blankets/kitty blankets
I walked all the broken down shipping boxes out to the dumpster
I replaced two burnt out lightbulbs
I walked around the house with a trash bag and just picked up trash (this is a UFYH trick). And then I made sure that bag made its way out to the dumpster, because I didn’t want it sitting around the house.
I tried an internet hack that I saw somewhere. Of course, now I can’t find where I saw it, but whatever. I used four tension rods to create a shelf in the hallway above the doorway to the sewing room where I can put my stash of TP, paper towels, and Kleenex. I rather like it, and it helped clear some of the stuff that I’ve had stored on top of the dryer for ages.
I washed a ton of dishes. I’ve almost finished washing all the everyday dishes. Saturday I’ll wash the pots and pans and then start on the other things that have been sitting around waiting to get washed (the cat feeders and fountains, so I can finally put those away, some ceramic planters from my dead plants, a bunch of holiday cookie tins, etc.).
The nice thing about today is that it sets me up nicely for things I want to do tomorrow in the kitchen. Like clean the counters and kitchen sink (have to deal with the dirty dishes first) and cleaning the stove top (need to clean the pots and pans first).
Tom
Jul. 4th, 2025 01:35 pmkoshka_the_catWe've been feeding a super friendly stray for a while. Yesterday we got him neutered. He's here on a trial basis. So far, Sid and Poppy are wary, but curious. A tiny bit of hissing and growling, but less than I expected. No matter what, he's definitely not going back on the street!
I'm a nervous wreck 😂
I'm a nervous wreck 😂
Ancient Greek Cooking
Jul. 4th, 2025 12:21 pmbrickhousewenchJust link parking this here, but it might be interesting to others too.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/podcast-ancient-greek-dinner-parties
Andrew: The whole book is written in Greek. So Deipnosophistae in Greek can be translated as “the philosophers at dinner” or like, “the wise people at dinner.” One scholar that I spoke with had a kind of funny translation. He translated it as “banquet wits,” and he said he likes this because it sounds a little bit like “twits.” And there is like a bit of irreverence or humor in the text itself. So, he thought that that was a funny way of translating it.
Dylan: Yeah, I mean it shows you something about the culture, that there was so much kind of fine dining and social maneuvering happening in this space that someone would go to the trouble of producing a text, which was actually quite a lot of trouble back then, to be like, here’s kind of what you need to know.
Andrew: It’s a very rambling book. The format is hard to pin down. The framing device is that it’s a bunch of people talking at a dinner party. So it’s kind of structured that as the courses of the dinner are coming out, they see a dish and it inspires them to talk about that ingredient. Like the food itself is inspiring what they’re talking about. And they’re telling stories and they’re quoting a lot from other authors. That’s what makes it such an interesting and important text is because it preserves the words of all of these earlier writers. And in some cases, you have writers whose work doesn’t survive in its entirety, but the little piece of it that’s quoted in Deipnosophistae is what we have that survives.
Dylan: It’s like super meta because it’s like in the format of a dinner party conversation, but is also like a great quotes book so that you can reference it for your future dinner. So, Deipnosophistae contains these quotes, it contains these kind of philosophical tidbits, but it also seems like it also has real recipes in here.
Andrew: Well, one of the most significant things is it contains the oldest recorded known recipe in Greek. During this time, especially the Greek cities in what is now Sicily, were known for kind of fancy haute cuisine. And so the recipe that we have in Deipnosophistae is for a grilled fish. It’s a type of fish called ribbon fish, and it’s topped with grated cheese and olive oil.
*****
Dylan: That’s amazing, because there isn’t actually patent law for recipes now. I like the idea of it being a one-year patent on a recipe because it’s kind of like, okay, you get a year to be a really hot star chef, and then everybody gets to take a crack at doing the thing. I kind of feel like that would be a good thing to bring back. So, this book’s fascinating because it’s so many things. In a way, it just reminds me of what I sometimes call a tidbits book, which collects a lot of little stories or a lot of quotes or just this and that. It reminds me of the books that people sometimes put on the back of a toilet, like the Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader kind of thing. The thing that you pick up and you sort of browse through it, it’s not really meant to be necessarily read in a go. You kind of open to some pages and go like, ah, interesting, very enlightening, and then you close it and you put it back on the back of the toilet.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/eat-like-a-greek-philosopher-oldest-fish-recipe
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/podcast-ancient-greek-dinner-parties
Andrew: The whole book is written in Greek. So Deipnosophistae in Greek can be translated as “the philosophers at dinner” or like, “the wise people at dinner.” One scholar that I spoke with had a kind of funny translation. He translated it as “banquet wits,” and he said he likes this because it sounds a little bit like “twits.” And there is like a bit of irreverence or humor in the text itself. So, he thought that that was a funny way of translating it.
Dylan: Yeah, I mean it shows you something about the culture, that there was so much kind of fine dining and social maneuvering happening in this space that someone would go to the trouble of producing a text, which was actually quite a lot of trouble back then, to be like, here’s kind of what you need to know.
Andrew: It’s a very rambling book. The format is hard to pin down. The framing device is that it’s a bunch of people talking at a dinner party. So it’s kind of structured that as the courses of the dinner are coming out, they see a dish and it inspires them to talk about that ingredient. Like the food itself is inspiring what they’re talking about. And they’re telling stories and they’re quoting a lot from other authors. That’s what makes it such an interesting and important text is because it preserves the words of all of these earlier writers. And in some cases, you have writers whose work doesn’t survive in its entirety, but the little piece of it that’s quoted in Deipnosophistae is what we have that survives.
Dylan: It’s like super meta because it’s like in the format of a dinner party conversation, but is also like a great quotes book so that you can reference it for your future dinner. So, Deipnosophistae contains these quotes, it contains these kind of philosophical tidbits, but it also seems like it also has real recipes in here.
Andrew: Well, one of the most significant things is it contains the oldest recorded known recipe in Greek. During this time, especially the Greek cities in what is now Sicily, were known for kind of fancy haute cuisine. And so the recipe that we have in Deipnosophistae is for a grilled fish. It’s a type of fish called ribbon fish, and it’s topped with grated cheese and olive oil.
*****
Dylan: That’s amazing, because there isn’t actually patent law for recipes now. I like the idea of it being a one-year patent on a recipe because it’s kind of like, okay, you get a year to be a really hot star chef, and then everybody gets to take a crack at doing the thing. I kind of feel like that would be a good thing to bring back. So, this book’s fascinating because it’s so many things. In a way, it just reminds me of what I sometimes call a tidbits book, which collects a lot of little stories or a lot of quotes or just this and that. It reminds me of the books that people sometimes put on the back of a toilet, like the Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader kind of thing. The thing that you pick up and you sort of browse through it, it’s not really meant to be necessarily read in a go. You kind of open to some pages and go like, ah, interesting, very enlightening, and then you close it and you put it back on the back of the toilet.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/eat-like-a-greek-philosopher-oldest-fish-recipe
Stuff
Jul. 3rd, 2025 07:38 pmkoshka_the_catEverything is awful with everything that's happening.
Errands today, but done.
At least I went to a local doughnut shop and got good cheese danish and jelly doughnuts. I don't like cheese danish, but my teacher friend told me to try one and it was amazing. I think they use their croissant dough for the pastry, and the cheese is more tart than sweet. So good...
They were out of croissants, it's a popular place and I didn't get there until ten...
Errands today, but done.
At least I went to a local doughnut shop and got good cheese danish and jelly doughnuts. I don't like cheese danish, but my teacher friend told me to try one and it was amazing. I think they use their croissant dough for the pastry, and the cheese is more tart than sweet. So good...
They were out of croissants, it's a popular place and I didn't get there until ten...
Getting Shit Done
Jul. 3rd, 2025 09:21 pmbrickhousewenchNow that it’s summer I’ve found that I have more energy to Get Shit Done. (I’m apparently solar powered) So I’ve been slowly picking away at getting Frogholm cleaned up. It helps that I’ve had more time off recently. I had Thursday June 19th off for Juneteenth (new Federal holiday) and then the following Monday, June 23, as one of our five company shutdown days. And this week is another four day week for Independence Day. The really nice thing about three day weekends is that even if I spent a whole day doing nothing, I’ve still got two more days off to attempt some housework. Lately I’ve been pretty good at keeping up with the dishes and laundry, (and reading Dreamwidth) which means I’ve had enough time to start tackling some of the many, many things on my lengthy To Do list around the house.
For example, I’ve got two broken towel rods in the bathroom. One pulled out of the wall, so it needs to be spackled before I can reinstall, and the other I grabbed onto when I slipped in the shower last summer (so I managed to break that one). They’re cheap wooden ones, the cheapest ones you can buy at Walmart, as I discovered when I started looking at Home Despot and Lowes websites, because I knew I’d seen them somewhere. Anywhoo, the Good News part is that when I found them on the Walmart website, it said something about “Fulfillment through [Other Company]. And since I’d rather not spend money at WallyWorld, I went to the Other Company website. Where they were the daily special and ONE THIRD of the price! Go me! Once those arrive, I’ll spend a day on bathroom refurbishment (replace towel rods, wash the shower curtain and replace the liner, new toilet seat, etc.)
This weekend I’m hoping to spend some time sorting through some of my many boxes of papers. I’d just toss them, but I know they need to be sorted first, and in some cases things really should be shredded. So I’ll work on that this weekend. And try to shelve some more books and maybe cull some of the herd to donate. My other project goal this weekend is to buy some houseplants. So that I’m not the only living thing in this apartment.
After work tonight I drove to the Post Office and mailed the bills. Then I hit up Target, and Staples for supplies for a couple of other things I want to get done this weekend. And then went to Wegmans to grocery shop, because I didn’t go last Friday and I was out of milk and down to my last yogurt. But that means I don’t have any excuses to leave the house Friday. So I can get cracking on the housework.
It feels so good to be moving forward again after treading water for way too long.
For example, I’ve got two broken towel rods in the bathroom. One pulled out of the wall, so it needs to be spackled before I can reinstall, and the other I grabbed onto when I slipped in the shower last summer (so I managed to break that one). They’re cheap wooden ones, the cheapest ones you can buy at Walmart, as I discovered when I started looking at Home Despot and Lowes websites, because I knew I’d seen them somewhere. Anywhoo, the Good News part is that when I found them on the Walmart website, it said something about “Fulfillment through [Other Company]. And since I’d rather not spend money at WallyWorld, I went to the Other Company website. Where they were the daily special and ONE THIRD of the price! Go me! Once those arrive, I’ll spend a day on bathroom refurbishment (replace towel rods, wash the shower curtain and replace the liner, new toilet seat, etc.)
This weekend I’m hoping to spend some time sorting through some of my many boxes of papers. I’d just toss them, but I know they need to be sorted first, and in some cases things really should be shredded. So I’ll work on that this weekend. And try to shelve some more books and maybe cull some of the herd to donate. My other project goal this weekend is to buy some houseplants. So that I’m not the only living thing in this apartment.
After work tonight I drove to the Post Office and mailed the bills. Then I hit up Target, and Staples for supplies for a couple of other things I want to get done this weekend. And then went to Wegmans to grocery shop, because I didn’t go last Friday and I was out of milk and down to my last yogurt. But that means I don’t have any excuses to leave the house Friday. So I can get cracking on the housework.
It feels so good to be moving forward again after treading water for way too long.
Now what? Next Steps
Jul. 3rd, 2025 05:50 pmbrickhousewenchWhelp, Congress went and passed the First Felon’s Big Bastard of a Bill. So now what?
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/what-next-no-kings-movement-protest-boycott-organize-1235367077/
Those next steps include a new national protest, dubbed “Good Trouble Lives On.” That protest is scheduled for July 17, and honors the anniversary of the 2020 passing of Civil Rights icon and Congressman John Lewis, who called on Americans fighting for justice to create “good trouble” in the name of redeeming the soul of America. The rallying cry for the march is “March in Peace. Act in Power.” The protest already has dozens of planned demonstrations.
The other action announced on the call is called “1 Million Rising.” Organized by Indivisible, the progressive grassroots juggernaut, the initiative seeks to harness the energy of protesters to build long-term political power. One Million Rising describes itself as “a national effort to train one million people” to become pro-democracy movement leaders, with “the skills to lead others.” The initiative aims to “build people power that can’t be ignored” and has as its mission statement: “1 Million Trained, Millions More Empowered.”
Mark your calendars!
Indivisible - https://indivisible.org/
Good Trouble Lives On - https://goodtroubleliveson.org/
1 Million rising - https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/803953/
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/what-next-no-kings-movement-protest-boycott-organize-1235367077/
Those next steps include a new national protest, dubbed “Good Trouble Lives On.” That protest is scheduled for July 17, and honors the anniversary of the 2020 passing of Civil Rights icon and Congressman John Lewis, who called on Americans fighting for justice to create “good trouble” in the name of redeeming the soul of America. The rallying cry for the march is “March in Peace. Act in Power.” The protest already has dozens of planned demonstrations.
The other action announced on the call is called “1 Million Rising.” Organized by Indivisible, the progressive grassroots juggernaut, the initiative seeks to harness the energy of protesters to build long-term political power. One Million Rising describes itself as “a national effort to train one million people” to become pro-democracy movement leaders, with “the skills to lead others.” The initiative aims to “build people power that can’t be ignored” and has as its mission statement: “1 Million Trained, Millions More Empowered.”
Mark your calendars!
Indivisible - https://indivisible.org/
Good Trouble Lives On - https://goodtroubleliveson.org/
1 Million rising - https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/803953/
That feeling when
Jul. 3rd, 2025 02:06 pmbrickhousewenchThat feeling when you take your little morning walk.
And realize when you've finished, that your FitBit was on the charger and not on your wrist.
Oh well, at least my body knows that I walked, even if my FitBit doesn't. And that's what counts.
And realize when you've finished, that your FitBit was on the charger and not on your wrist.
Oh well, at least my body knows that I walked, even if my FitBit doesn't. And that's what counts.