Yup. It’s Wednesday.

Today’s word is: tongue

Since my last foray went so badly, this time I went to my recipe file to find a zucchini bread recipe I’d used before.

Of course things couldn’t go smoothly: I discovered that aside from the 1/2 cup in the flour bin, I was out of white flour. I have whole wheat flour, I have bread flour, I have pastry flour, and I have white wheat flour. But no back-up white flour. So I used white wheat and hoped for the best.
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I know, I know. It seems like forever since I’ve written a real post, and have even fallen down on keeping up with the regular series posts I make.

My excuse is I’ve been sick, and it’s been a very long summer that has rolled into an equally difficult fall.

It’s strange. I started this oh so many years ago to write about things that were bothering me, but now I find that many of the things that bother me I can’t write about. Specifically, work and family, and if you remove those things what do you have left? Well, ok, politics and religion, but I just don’t feel up to those subjects right now.

On the personal front, my depression isn’t too bad, but my OCD is bugging the crap outta me. I keep thinking things will settle down once my life settles down, however, it is beginning to feel like this level of stress and annoyance is the new normal. I need to do something about that probably.

So yeah. I’ve been kinda crummy and supremely uninspired, but I’ll try and do better. At the very least I’ve already written two posts for later this week, so you’ve got that.

While I was sick, I was ensconced in the computer room in the basement, which doubles as a sick room, because it’s away from Grandmom. As the basement is where the cats go in the basement at night (so they don’t accidentally trip Grandmom) I had plenty of feline company–whether I wanted it or not.

Here is Kit making herself at home on my bed.

Bah Humbug.

Happy Birthday Susan!!!!!

Today’s word is:

fur

Every time I looked at the cover, I kept thinking Ben Browder was about to be attacked by mini-glowy-eyed hyenas and extra tall, extra skinny jawas.

Labor Day in the United States exists to celebrate the rights that workers in the United States have achieved in the past century, and to give us time to allow those who keep the power on and the trains running and all those other jobs that require you to get your hands dirty, a day to be recognized for their work.

We should remember the past, and some of the incidents that made labor unions so critical:

The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire

Child Labor in the United States

And we should also consider the state of Unions in the US and the status of laborers. By this I don’t mean lawyers and CEOs, but the people who do the work in the service and manufacturing industries: slaughterhouses, commercial farms, coal mines.

We must remember that for those at the bottom, wages have remained stagnant or decreased with inflation, rates of health insurance coverage are falling (while health costs rise), and workplace safety is again becoming an issue, as owners place profits over the safety of their employees.

Bureau of Labor Statistics
National Agricultural Workers Survey
US Department of Labor

Today is a good day to remember those who have lost their lives and their health doing nothing more than trying to make living.

Caught part of the WVU game, but slept through more of it I think. Ah well, napping is good for me.

Kat is doing very well, and aside from really not wanting antibiotic shot down his throat, seems to be doing far better than I would have expected. He’s even come around for attention and petting, which is very unlike him.

Otherwise? I see reading and napping in my future.

Cat is at the vet today to get one or more teeth pulled. Because of his age (11) it’s going to be expensive. Yay.

Meanwhile, I’m sure Kit will be wondering around the house, lost.

Hopefully, he’ll be far less cranky afterward.

ADDENDUM the First:
Kat woke up from the anesthesia fine; we’ll see about the cranky when we pick him up.

ADDENDUM the Second:
If you’re wondering why there are no pictures this week, it’s because I’m still ensconced in the basement, and my cameras are upstairs.

Lots of stuff. Too tired to write anything right now however. So here are some of the supernatural fantasy books I’ve enjoyed recently:

Mercy Thompson: Homecoming (2009) Patricia Briggs, David Lawrence, Francis Tsai, Amelia Woo

Hunting Ground (2009) Patricia Briggs

Skinwalker (2009) Faith Hunter

Skin Deep (2009) Mark del Franco

Have read mysteries and comics as well, but I like to promote good fantasy. Even if it has vampires and werewolves.

It’s the cough and cold version of word association this week, so to start things off:

swine

The manhole cover shifted noisily, and then every so slowly rose an inch, and then another.

A pair of eye stalks moved towards the opening. They eyes darted to the left, then to the right, and then withdrew back into the darkness of the manhole.

Without warning, the manhole cover flew into the air, tumbling end over end to clatter to the street ten feet away.

There was a blur as something leaped out of the manhole, unfurling a large banner that read, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANON GF! LOVE Not-SOPHIE and the UCF!”