Crankypantsing

Postal

Shelly

I sent a package via USPS Priority Mail on August 22nd. Priority packages are supposed to be delivered in two days. And because I also got delivery confirmation for the package, I know that it has not yet–ten days out–been delivered.

We are not amused.

Also unamusing is having a big ol’ allergy attack from eating raw green peppers. I used to get them all the time from pretty much all raw fruits and veggies, but haven’t had a problem the last few years. Aside from hives and asthma, I’m pretty sure I coughed up a lung, and my voice is gone. But those are just minor details. I live on raw green peppers! What the hell am I going to bring for a crunchy snack tomorrow?! If I’m reacting (again dammit!) to green peppers, then celery is out. So are apples. Carrots might be okay. Edamame? (Not so crunchy, but green, at least.) Cucumbers? Grrr!

If anyone needs me, I’ll be in Benadryl-induced coma.

Uncategorized

Gifts

Shelly

One of my cat sitting clients brought me back a couple of gifts from Costa Rica: a little pad of banana paper (it’s screaming to be made into a miniature book) and a bottle of Lizano salsa. I’m not a big fan of pouring chili-based sauces all over my food, but I’ll give it a try.

And a couple of nights ago, across-the-hall neighbor brought me a cupcake. Not just any cupcake, either. It was a work of art, with a veritable Everest of frosting that actually tasted good. Mmm. Now I’m craving frosted cupcakes so badly that even homemade brownies aren’t going to cut it.

Pets

Spotty

Shelly

Spotty is spotty no more. I noticed this morning that his last two burned scales are back to their proper orange color.

I also noticed that I have acquired an astonishing pile of fishy accouterments. Everything from medicine to tank clarifier to stress coat to 101 different types of food. All for two silly goldfish and their pet pleco.

And speaking of Mr. Pleco, he’s a total riot. Whenever I give him an algae tablet, the other fish try to take it away. He’s no dummy, though. He lays down on top of it while he nomnomnomnomnoms, so that they can’t get to it. And watching him clean the algae from above the water line is hilarious, too. He suckers himself to the side of the tank, then shimmies up until his head is just above the water, then he scrubs furiously until he has to go back under.

My Garden, Photography

A Garden Update

Shelly

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My sedum is finally getting ready to bloom. The little buds are starting to take on a pink blush, and a few of them have popped their outer skin.

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As I was photographing the sedum, I noticed that 1) my volunteer basil plant has gotten ginormous and B) there was a praying mantis hanging out in it.

I’ve also got something else volunteering in another bed. I’m hoping that some of the seeds I planted last spring finally decided to grow. Otherwise, it’s just a weed. It’s got buds forming, so I should know soon, either way.

And speaking of things I didn’t think were going to grow, the purple aster I got from a coworker is blooming! The grounds crew scalped it not long after I planted it, and then it got hidden by the basil, so I didn’t notice that it had come back.

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Uncategorized

Vast Tracts of… Books!

Shelly

I’ve cataloged 124 items* so far today, and it’s only 2pm. Can I go home now?

*That’s about 15 items per hour, not accounting for breaks. When we were told last year that one of the candidates for Dean of the Li-barry said that copy catalogers should be doing (if I recall correctly) 11 books per hour, everyone got up in arms about how no way, no how, nuh-uh could anyone work that fast. Um, yeaaaaaah.

Crankypantsing, Meta

Comments

Shelly

Andy emailed me to tell me that my blog was requiring folks to register and log on, in order to leave comments. WTF?! I haven’t changed any settings, nor would I try to make people register just to comment. In fact, I’ve completely turned off registration, as that’s how the asswagon hacker got into my blog a few months ago.

Hrmf!

Anyway, I’ve located that particular problem and fixed it. Sort of. It seems that when WordPress suddenly took it upon itself to require registration, it also closed comments on all old posts. I don’t see a fix for that, other than going back and manually editing posts, and that ain’t gonna happen. If there’s an old post you want to comment on, just leave a comment here, and I’ll unlock it. From here on out, though, everything should be back to normal.