Ink & Stone

I finally went through and cleaned up my circle. I know there's been some security incidents with old accounts being hijacked, so I figured it was time. It definitely made me feel some kind of way. Some people haven't posted in 500 weeks! Now, I do interact with some of these folks on Twitter so that's fine. People shift platforms. It happens. But a lot of these folks... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I hope they're okay wherever they are.

At some point, I should add new journals to read. Being an extravert is tough during the Pandemic Times. I need to interact with people. Some way. Somehow. Which communities are good for finding new journals? Does anyone know? (I'm so rusty!)

For those who don't follow me on Twitter, I've started working in the lab again. It's not the same as the Before Times. I pretty much go in to run experiments and then leave when I'm done. My supervisor's attitude is that if it doesn't involve running experiments on lab equipment, it can be done at home. And that's reasonable. So I'm not working full 8-hour days on-site. (I fill in the rest of the time at home.) I do telework some days. Being flexible is key. I did have a couple near misses with Covid exposure, but I'm doing okay so far. Work itself has been a little messy for various reasons, but I'm okay. Just trying to be as safe as possible.

Much like the start of the Pandemic Times, my allergies are kicking in so it's Paranoia Central 24/7. I did get my flu shot on Friday. It hurt like it has since they switched to the quad a couple years back. My arm wasn't as sore as last year, though, so that's something.

How's everyone doing?

It's been almost two months since my last entry. Not doing a very good job of posting more, am I? Let's see... okay, here's a tl;dr collection of random stuff that's happened the last couple months!

+ I won the March 2018 Harpy Agenda microgrant for a news feature I wrote about Lezhin Comics. (For new folk: during 2015 until late 2016, I worked full-time as a freelance writer. I have a full-time day job again, but I still write for a few places -- Comics MNT, Book Riot & Ms En Scene. It's much less stressful for me, and I can write for fun whenever I want.) The news feature was for Comics MNT. Steve, one of the MNT founders, now calls me their award-winning news writer, which cracks me up to no end.

+ I started taking a paddleboard yoga class last Thursday. It's indoors at the rec center down the street. I think I like it? It's getting warmer (supposedly, anyway -- winter doesn't particularly want to leave DC, it would seem) so I'm going to slowly incorporate more studio yoga into my daily practice to prepare for all the outdoor yoga I want to do during the summer!

+ I've had two fixes since my last post about Stitchfix. One was a boring disaster (I kept a hunter green tunic though) but I kept everything in the other, so I guess it all balances out. I'm getting another next week. We'll see how this one goes.

+ I finished watching Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens (kind of a strange anime overall) and School Babysitters (so cute! I rec this one a lot if you want something refreshing and soothing to watch) from the winter anime season. I never quite finished Kokkoku. Maybe I'll get around to it one day?? This season, I'm watching My Hero Academia (of course), Tokyo Ghoul (of course), Golden Kamuy (OF COURSE), and it looks like maybe Dances with the Dragons? (The original title of the light novel series it's based on is Even So, Sinners Dance with the Dragons and oh my god, is that not the most extra thing you've ever read??)

+ Whenever winter releases its claws in DC, I'd like to start taking walks through the park 15 minutes away from me. The other one. Not the one I used to visit a lot during the height of PokeGo -- they found a dead body there about a year ago and I got too scared to walk by myself on those paths.

How are you all?

Changing the subject lines for these entries because obviously I can't guarantee they'll be daily, LMAO!

1. Made my first official dish in the Instant Pot: beef stew! It turned out pretty good. I combined two internet recipes, and I think the next time I make this dish (it's definitely a repeat), I'll add a couple bay leaves.

2. I put up my Christmas tree!

3. Today, Adriene released the first video (Root) in her 7-Day Chakra Ride series for the membership site. It was so great. If the remaining 6 days are just as good, I have a feeling I'll repeat the series at least once a month from now on. It was flow yoga but there were definitely some kundalini influences, which is super nostalgic. (People who've known me for years know I used to do Ravi & Ana yoga DVDs religiously.) I'm excited to do tomorrow's after work!

Mmm, let's see...

1. So after exploring various yoga options throughout the year, I ultimately decided on (and stuck with) Yoga with Adriene. I even became a member of her paid site! Which is exciting because she's launching a 7-day chakra series on Sunday. I guess I stuck with her because her flows are varied, she's affordable and fits into my schedule, and she occasionally throws some kundalini into her practices, which makes me super nostalgic. I do still plan on going to an occasional studio class, just to make sure my alignment isn't out of whack but all in all, I'm satisfied.

All this to say: My heels are almost almost almost touching the ground in downward facing dog!

2. Speaking of Adriene, she posted this recipe for a clean green comfort soup, and I decided to make it so I could test out my new immersion blender (...bought during my Black Friday rampage, yes). The soup turned out good & the hand blender works!

Well. The Senate passed its tax plan. Sigh.

But I still want to keep doing these posts because lord, we'll still need some light in the days to come.

1. I went to an arts & crafts show with some friends this morning. It was apparently its 40th year (!!), but this is the first year I've heard of it? Anyway, it was pretty awesome! This year, I discovered that I really like finding local artisans. Things bought: two stoneware mugs, a bottle of Greek Balsamiko oil, 2 handmade soaps (lemongrass and satsuma), and 4 dip mixes (ghost pepper, tomato horseradish, sun-dried tomato basil, and passionfruit peach banana). My friends were like, "We have to come back next year!" So, success.

2. For lunch, we went to a local hotspot called The Block. It's an Asian-style food hall. I got a pokebowl (with kale noodles, yay) and when I was still hungry after that, I hit up the Thai stand for a pork skewer. I love good food.

3. I have the rest of the day to catch up on some writing I need to do for MNT and Book Riot.

Keep on keeping on, I guess.