aslin | Reading

spikedluv

Round 8 of

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spikedluv

And it is December already. How did that happen?!!

I hit Price Chopper while I was downtown. Monday is usually my Walmart day, but we’re expecting an unknown amount of snow tomorrow and I wanted to be prepared. (TWC app has said 3-5 for the last few days, but other weather apps are forecasting higher amounts.)

I visited mom, hit the bank drive-thru, paid a bill online, did two loads of laundry, hand-washed dishes, ran a load in the dishwasher, baked chicken for the dog’s meals, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, scooped kitty litter, and shaved.

I watched Tracker, a Hallmark Christmas movie, and some HGTV programs. Dr. Pol was my evening background tv.

Temps started out at 32.5(F) (but had dropped to 30.9 before I left the house; weirdly it had dropped even further and was 30.4 when I returned from downtown o_O) and reached 34. There was some wind which made it feel even colder.

Mom Update:

Mom was not feeling great today. ( more back here )

spikedluv

I did four loads of laundry, hand-washed dishes, emptied the dishwasher, did more sweeping and mopping, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, changed kitty litter, and showered.

I took a nap (Pip has to stop getting up at 4am!!), made brownies, read some fanfic, and watched a Hallmark Christmas movie and the Bills game. Go Bills!!

Temps started out at 27(F) and reached 39.

Mom Update:

Mom was doing pretty good when I called her. ( more back here )

spikedluv

I did not go downtown today. I had planned ahead and did my usual ‘Saturday shopping’ yesterday. We weren’t supposed to get that much snow, but I thought, just in case. Good thing I did. I had already decided to stay home, but Pip called after he got to work to tell me the roads were a hot mess and that I shouldn’t go out. I didn’t tell him that I answered the phone from back in bed. *g*

I shoveled the sidewalk, did two loads of laundry, hand-washed dishes, ran a load in the dishwasher, finished clearing off/dusting in the dining room, AND THEN GOT OUT my Christmas decorations!! (I can’t believe I have it done earlier than the week before Christmas, lol!), went for a walk with Pip and the dogs, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, and scooped kitty litter.

I visited mom and stopped at Stewart’s (for gas and milk) on the way home. We had various leftovers for supper. I read fanfic and watched a Hallmark Christmas movie and some HGTV programs. Dr. Pol was my evening background tv.

Temps started out at 28.6(F) and reached 39.9. (By the time I got home from mom’s ~3pm it was already down to 31.1! And the sun was still shining some. I really hate this time of the year.)

We got over 6" of snow (TWC app says 8"), because there was quite a bit more on the sidewalk when I shoveled again this morning. By the time I went down to see mom (after lunch) the roads were clear of snow and just wet, where any remaining snow had melted. And the sun was shining nice and bright, as is often the case after a snowstorm!

Mom Update:

Mom was doing well when I saw her. ( more back here )

denise posting in

dw_news

Hello, friends! It's about to be December again, and you know what that means: the fact I am posting this actually before December 1 means

karzilla reminded me about the existence of linear time again. Wait, no -- well, yes, but also -- okay, look, let me back up and start again: it's almost December, and that means it's time for our annual December holiday points bonus.

The standard explanation: For the entire month of December, all orders made in the Shop of points and paid time, either for you or as a gift for a friend, will have 10% of your completed cart total sent to you in points when you finish the transaction. For instance, if you buy an order of 12 months of paid time for $35 (350 points), you'll get 35 points when the order is complete, to use on a future purchase.

( The fine print and much more behind this cut! )

Thank you, in short, for being the best possible users any social media site could possibly ever hope for. I'm probably in danger of crossing the Sappiness Line if I haven't already, but you all make everything worth it.

On behalf of Mark, Jen, Robby, and our team of awesome volunteers, and to each and every one of you, whether you've been with us on this wild ride since the beginning or just signed up last week, I'm wishing you all a very happy set of end-of-year holidays, whichever ones you celebrate, and hoping for all of you that your 2026 is full of kindness, determination, empathy, and a hell of a lot more luck than we've all had lately. Let's go.

spikedluv

I hit Price Chopper and the Bakery while I was downtown. Later I dropped a book off at the library.

I did two loads of laundry, hand-washed dishes, did some house cleaning (swept kitchen and dining room, further swiffered and mopped dining room, and also dusted some of the furniture in the dining room (still have two items to clear off and dust), went for a couple walks with Pip and the dogs, shoveled the sidewalk, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, placed a couple of online orders, including Chewy, scooped kitty litter, and showered.

We had leftover turkey and sides for supper. I love Thanksgiving leftovers. I read fanfic. Dr. Pol was my evening background tv.

Temps started out at 30.9(F) and reached 34.5. The forecast called for 1-3 inches of snow during the day and an additional ‘less than an inch’ overnight, but we ended up getting much more than that. Pip shoveled off the deck after we ate (and made sure there was a path to the basement for the garage cats, lol!), and then he blew out the short walking trail. So we all went for a walk in the dark, which is kind of nice when there’s snow on the ground.

ETA: I forgot to include this pic of our visitors this evening!

Mom Update:

Mom sounded okay when I called her, ( more back here )

spikedluv

Happy Thanksgiving (a day late) to those of you living in the U.S. Happy Thursday to everyone else.

I slept late this morning (7am again), even though Pip got up early due to coughing. (When it’s not a work day, I don’t have to worry about getting Grant back in the house, which means I can stay in bed.)

I put together a tossed salad for Thanksgiving in the morning. My other contributions to the meal were: a cabbage salad, a loaf of banana bread, and butter cookies. (Since I had to make a GF dessert, I figured it had to be something Pip liked, so we decided on butter cookies, as they’re his favorite.)

ETA: How could I forget to mention this!! There was only one pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving Dinner. *g*

I did a load of laundry, hand-washed dishes, emptied the dishwasher, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, and scooped kitty litter.

I finished the new Inspector Gamache book.

Temps started out at 34.0(F) (at 7am; it was a couple degrees cooler when Pip got up) and reached 41.2, that I saw. The forecast said it was supposed to hit 50, but I never saw that. It was overcast most of the day again.

Mom Update:

Mom ended up agreeing to go to my sister’s for Thanksgiving. ( more back here )

spikedluv

What I Just Finished Reading: Since last Wednesday I have read/finished reading: Nothing. A lot of fanfic. But I did DNF a book (see below).

What I am Currently Reading: Dogged Pursuit (Andy Carpenter Series) by David Rosenfelt.

What I Plan to Read Next: I have two books waiting for me at the library, so one of those.

DNF: Guardian of the Horizon (An Amelia Peabody Mystery) (Elizabeth Peters)

I didn’t so much DNF this book as DNS (Did Not Start) it. I recently learned that this author wrote stories from the ‘lost season’. (The time between the books.) I was not pleased with that information because I do not want to go backwards and I hoped that this next book in the series (which I had already requested from the libarary) was not one of those ‘lost season’ books. Dear reader, I hoped in vain. ( more back here )

The Goodreads description does include the information that the book is from the ‘lost season’; I wish I’d know about these books so I could have read them in the proper ‘order’ time-wise (rather than publication-wise). But you can, if you’re just getting into the series! Thankfully not all of the books in the rest of the series are from a ‘lost season’, so I have requested the book after this one from the library.

spikedluv

We were up early again because Pip had a coughing fit and couldn’t get back to sleep: 4:10am. I did not want to get up early again, and yet. At least it gave me more time to get stuff done.

I hit Price Chopper while I was downtown and stopped at Dunkin’ Donuts (because mom wants to take a treat to the clinic today, her second-to-last day!!).

I drove mom to her appointment, hand-washed dishes, emptied the dishwasher and ran another load, went for a couple walks with Pip and the dogs, baked chicken for the dogs’ meals, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, and scooped kitty litter. I also made banana bread! One loaf is for Thanksgiving, one is for Sister A’s b-day, and the other is for us to enjoy! We had baked haddock for supper and still-warm banana bread was my evening snack.

Started a new Andy Carpenter book! Walt Disney's Animal Kingdom (or whatever it's called these days) was my evening background tv.

Temps started out at 32.7(F) and reached 50.0. It was overcast all day.

ETA: I forgot to mention the new developments in the Pumpkin Pie Fiasco! ( cutting for length )

Mom Update:

Mom was not feeling well again. ( more back here )

spikedluv

TV Talk:

9-1-1: On hiatus until Jan 8.

Matlock: No new ep this week; new eps return Dec 4.

Tracker: Good ep! ( spoilers )

TV News:

The Pitt: Is coming to TNT on Dec 1!! They will air three episodes each Monday through the month of December. I’m finally going to be able to see it!! I’ve already got it set to record.

spikedluv

I got up early today. Or rather, on time. I forgot that we didn’t have to get up at 5am today, so I got up a few minutes ahead of the non-existent alarm to go to the bathroom and feed the cat, then I was like, crap! By then my brain was working enough that I knew I wouldn’t get back to sleep, so I stayed up.

I hit Walmart and Agway while I was downtown, then later Stewart’s on the way home from mom’s. I also stopped at the vet’s to get Ti’s special dog food and the library to pick up a book.

I drove mom to her treatment, hand-washed dishes, went for a couple walks with Pip and the dogs, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, scooped kitty litter, and showered. Last night’s roast chicken dinner was so good (we both loved it) that we had leftovers for supper tonight.

I read more fanfic and watched Tracker. Dr. Pol was my background tv in the evening.

Temps started out at 36.3(F) and reached 45.3. There was some sun in the afternoon, but it was still cool.

Mom Update:

Mom was not feeling well today. ( more back here )

spikedluv

Season two is now over, which is a bummer. I enjoy this show, but there are only 6 episodes (and with them airing two a week, that meant they were over quickly). I commented about the first four eps of s1 previously, so here are my comments on the rest of s1 and all of s2. With some bonus screencaps | promo shots.

~*~

Emily Lane, played by Sarah Drew.

( 3 more back here )

( episode comments )

If you have any interest in a Christmas-themed murder mystery, I recommend this show. Here are some links if you want to learn more:

About Mistletoe Murders (hallmark.com)

Sarah Drew Talks Hallmark+ Series ‘Mistletoe Murders’ (telltaletv.com) (from Nov 2024)

Also, also! I learned that Cobie Smulders voiced Emily in the audible series! I thought that was neat.

spikedluv

We slept late this morning (7am *g*). My excuse was that I didn’t sleep well during the night. In the middle of the night I woke up experiencing some unpleasant symptoms of gastric paralysis, which I haven’t had but once since I switched from Ozempic to Trulicity. I felt off all morning and took several naps. I finally felt better after my noontime nap, when I got up at 1:30pm to put supper in the oven. I didn’t eat anything until supper, just drank water, but I did, thankfully, start to feel hungry.

Symptoms, for my own information

I woke up in the middle of the night experiencing sour burbs, gas, and the feeling that I might have to vomit. Every time I woke up I had these experiences. The sour burps continued all morning. I did not vomit, but I did have diarrhea all morning. I also had no appetite and zero interest in eating, and was super tired. Enough that I laid down between chores and took three separate ‘naps’.

I did three loads of laundry, hand-washed dishes, ran a load in the dishwasher, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, and changed kitty litter. I roasted a chicken for supper, which was delicious and I was thankfully hungry enough to eat and enjoy.

I read fanfic and watched Mistletoe Murders. Zoo North Carolina was my evening background tv.

Temps started out at 32.7(F) and reached 41.2. We had snow in the morning when the temps were still in the 30s, then some rain when it hit 40s, then back to snow. Nothing heavy that accumulated, thankfully.

Mom Update:

Mom sounded good today. She had a friend visiting when I called her, so we didn’t talk long. Sister A took her to her treatment today. (I thought it was strange that they’d schedule a Sunday treatment, but apparently they didn’t want to skip a few days to get her final treatment in. (If they only did M, T, W this week, she’d have to wait until M next week for her final treatment.) She’s really looking forward to her last day!

spikedluv

I hit Price Chopper and the Bakery while I was downtown. I did three loads of laundry, hand-washed dishes, went for several walks with Pip and the dogs, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, scooped kitty litter, and showered. We had leftover lasagna for supper.

I read fanfic. Dr. Pol was my background tv in the evening.

Temps started out at 40.5(F) and reached 43.7. It was mostly overcast all day.

Mom Update:

Mom was doing well when I visited her. ( more back here )

spikedluv

I had a pedicure this morning; I chose another deep red polish. I also hit Walmart and CVS while I was downtown, both for mom.

I did a load of laundry, hand-washed dishes, went for a couple walks with Pip and the dogs, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, and scooped kitty litter. We went out for supper so I didn’t have to cook! \o/

(The plan was to try the buffet at a new-ish local place, and we both ended up ordering off the menu. Though Pip is determined we’ll do the buffet next time. We both got the cheeseburger, and by the time I got home the roof of my mouth felt like I had sores on it, a sure sign I’ve ingested garlic. I didn’t taste it, but I figured the burger must’ve been seasoned with garlic, and later Pip confirmed because he’d had a ‘side-effect’, too. Which means I’ll be rinsing my mouth with salt water for a couple of days.)

But I did make a pumpkin pie! (My s-i-l asked me to make a GF dessert for Thanksgiving, and pumpkin pie is the first thing I thought of, but Pip’s other sister is making a pumpkin pie. I have to think of something else, but since I was still in the mood for a pumpkin pie, I made one just for us.)

I read more fanfic and watched some HGTV programs. Zoo North Carolina was my background show.

Temps started out at 32.4(F) and reached 49.7. It was overcast all day.

Mom Update:

Mom sounded good when I talked to her. Treatment was same old-same old, food settled fine, and she was watching Mama’s family when I called. *g*

spikedluv

I visited my aunt, did a load of laundry, hand-washed dishes, went for several walks with Pip and the dogs, baked chicken for the dogs’ meals, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, scooped kitty litter, and shaved. I also paid several bills online and placed an order (for upcoming birthdays and Christmas pressies). I put together the lasagna for supper.

*flails* I wrote 1,600 words on a Fandom Trees gift fic!!!! And read more fanfic.

Temps started out at 20.1(F) and reached 39.4. There was some nice sun for a while.

Mom Update:

Mom was not doing well when I called her. ( more back here )

Update on my aunt:

I missed a couple of weekly visits because of driving mom to her treatments, but I saw my aunt last week and one thing I noticed was that she has dry skin (still or again is anyone’s guess). I brought it to the attention of the social worker (because there was no one available at the nurse’s station to talk to). This week ( more back here )

spikedluv

I had a chiropractic appointment this morning. I hit Price Chopper again while I was downtown. (Pip needed bananas for the garage and I wanted a chuck roast that didn’t look like it was already going bad, like the single chuck roast in the meat cooler yesterday when I was there.)

I took mom’s vehicle up to the garage before her appointment because I’ve been hearing a strange noise. When I mentioned it to Pip, he was worried it might be the wheel bearing and wanted to test drive it. The bad news is, it is the wheel bearing. The good news is, it’s in its ‘infancy’ (Pip’s actual word, lol), so we can still drive her car. (She finds it difficult to get in and out of mine and sister S’s, for different reasons; mine is too low, hers is too high (she drives a pick-up).) He’s checking into wheel bearings and we’ll schedule something in the next couple of weeks. For someone who has been mostly house-bound since June, she’s spending an awful lot on this vehicle.

I drove mom to her treatment, hand-washed dishes, went for a couple walks with Pip and the dogs, browned ground beef to make lasagna tomorrow, scooped kitty litter, and showered. I did find a nice chuck roast and put it in the crock pot when I got home from downtown (before I went to pick up mom’s vehicle). It was quite yummy.

I read fanfic and drank egg nog. Zoo North Carolina was my background tv in the evening.

Temps started out at 19.4(F) (BRR!!) and reached 39.7. There was some blue sky peeking out behind the clouds and even a little bit of sun!

Mom Update:

Mom was doing okay today. ( more back here )

spikedluv

Holy moly, I finally finished a book! A combination of reading/writing fic, watching tv shows/movies, and my fun bout of sciatica meant I didn’t pick up a book for weeks! October 1st was the last time I posted a reading meme! That’s six weeks! Yikes. I had even requested three books from the library, two of which I had to return because I ran out of renewals.

What I Just Finished Reading: Since my last Wednesday Reading Meme post I have read/finished reading: Winging It with You by Chip Pons.

What I am Currently Reading: Guardian of the Horizon (An Amelia Peabody Mystery) by Elizabeth Peters.

What I Plan to Read Next: Despite my track record, I have requested three more books from the library. o_O One has been shipped, so I will hopefully have that one soon.

Book 105 of 2025: Winging It with You (Chip Pons)

I enjoyed this book, though you wouldn't know it by how long it took me to read it. ( spoilers )

I was feeling so good about this book by the end that I looked up the author to see what else he'd written. I'm giving this book four hearts and may yet read another of his books.

♥♥♥♥

(If anyone is interested in reading this book, please let me know, I’m happy to send it to you. USA only, sorry.)

spikedluv

I hit Price Chopper and the Pharmacy while I was downtown and Stewart’s on the way home from mom’s. I heard ‘(My Angel is a) Centerfold’ while I was at BK. It was certainly a blast from the past and I immediately wondered just exactly what kind of playlist they’ve chosen?!! o_O It’s certainly a choice.

I drove mom to her treatment, did a load of laundry, hand-washed dishes, emptied the dishwasher and ran another load, went for a couple walks with Pip and the dogs, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, and scooped kitty litter. I made the meatloaf for supper before I picked mom up and stuck it in the fridge. I serve it with mashed potatoes and green beans. Always. Don’t ask me to change this! Also, it was really good.

I baked some cookies from frozen cookie dough that I bought for a school fundraiser. I also filled some wishes at Holiday Wishes, which made me feel good. I read fanfic and started an actual book.

Temps started out at 34.2(F) and reached 37.0.

Mom Update:

Mom was doing okay today. She’s admitted that she’s getting more tired and weak, which the person doing her treatment said was to be expected. She didn’t have any issues eating.

I got her mail, wrote out checks (her hands still shake pretty badly) and put them back in the mailbox; filled pill organizers, and did dishes for her.