of gigs and health scares

Jun. 7th, 2025 11:26 am
flaviomatani: (Default)
[personal profile] flaviomatani
Apart from health scares (there's been a couple of these in the last couple of weeks and I'm due for a CT scan next week), an interesting end of this week. I got a call (several calls and a voice-mail message) by this lady who needs a ’Spanish style guitarist’ for a function (her 80th birthday). I said I was not exactly that; I do not play flamenco, etc. She said she was aware that I was a classical guitarist, Would I be free to play (unamplified) at that garden do? How much would I charge? I said £250 and she jumped straight back ‘yes!’ Which made me think I should have said £400, but there you go. I’ll have to prepare a few biz cards to give out at that thing, see whether I can get more custom of that sort. Summer is normally very very slow and I very often just scrape through September, so this is quite welcome.
the_siobhan: (Professor Fly)
[personal profile] the_siobhan
Steroids are fucking magic, yo. They have returned my cat to his normal bitchy emotionally needy self. They have also taken most of the stabbing out of my foot so I can walk without limping, at least while I'm moving around the house. I cheated a bit and put some of the foot cream on my arm because I officially overdid it with the shovelling, and as a result I can now lift a water glass without wincing.

What a country.

Upper third of my yard is now graded and seeded. My daughter came over and helped. She's not getting a lot of hours at work so she has an open invitation to come over and help me move dirt from one place to another whenever she wants to make a few bucks and be given beer and dinner. It works out well for both of us.

Basement guys came back today - they said they figured they had about three hours of work to finish. More swearing in Polish ensued. In the end they were in my basement for eight hours, but they got it all done. They had to build entirely new frames to hang the doors from and there was at least one hardware store trip to replace borked parts in the storm door and BOY HOWDY did they have something to say about that, but everything is now perfect and the basement apartment has functional doors that work and close and lock and everything.

Next step: I got somebody to come over and have a look at finishing the wood work. This consists of:
1. The stairs from the kitchen door to the backyard. Currently about a three foot drop, which I have been climbing up and down but that's not a perfect long term solution. (Especially in winter.)
2. The stairs from the basement apartment into the yard, are flimsy, wobbly, and don't have any hand rails so they are definitely not code. They are also resting on a base of wooden slats that just randomly shift if you put your weight in the wrong spot. I have no fucking idea what Original Contractor was even thinking. They need to be replaced with something that will pass a city inspection and that also will not kill you when you try to use them.
3. I want to put some kind of a sound-proof bench over the sump pump, because that fucker is loud. Also I figure an exposed ginormous battery is possibly a safety hazard of some kind. So the guy who looked at it said they can build something that acts as a solid bench but you can flip the top up if it needs maintenance, which sounds perfect.
4. My original blueprints include a deck on the kitchen roof. That would be really nice if I can swing it, but we'll see how much this all costs. Mainly it would be an additional place for me to grow herbs and stuff so it's in the "nice to have" pile.



CUT FOR GROSS, SERIOUSLY YOU WERE WARNED )

Every time I see my doctor she asks me how the Not Drinking is going and every single time I'm all, FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK.

cupcake_goth: (Default)
[personal profile] cupcake_goth
- I get to go back on HRT, THANK G-D. This will, of course, be revisited after my next (really soon) MRI, but hallelujah, I'll have some relief from the hot flashes, brain fog, upswing of insomnia, hair loss, and random crying.

- Speaking of insomnia, this week has been rough. Even if I fall asleep at a "decent" time, my sleep is patchy and broken. Add that to the fact that I actually need somewhere around ten hours of sleep, and I've been an incoherent mess all week. Today I feel like I'm mildly drunk, but without the fun part.

[personal profile] minim_calibre and I decided YOLO and paid more money to get MUCH better seats for the My Chemical Romance concert. Did you know you could upgrade tickets purchased from Ticketmaster? I certainly didn't. But hey, a better view of the stage! I'm still sad that I'm going to see my precious cupcakes of bombast only one time on this tour ("only" omg I'm spoiled) but I'll cope. There's feverish speculation in the fanbase that maybe they'll preview songs from an unreleased album, or maybe they'll announce a new album. I love all this speculation, but I also believe none of it.

- Random perfume comment: If you love Goth Club 89 from the now-closed Whisper Sisters, Midnight Toker from Heretic Perfumes is a toned-down version of it. I hate the name, but the scent is lovely.

Rolling Pin Pasta Packaging

Jun. 6th, 2025 08:24 pm
[syndicated profile] toxeldotcom_feed

Posted by Toxel.com

Italian pasta packaging designed to look like a traditional wooden rolling pin, the iconic tool used to craft handmade pasta. Creative packaging shaped to resemble a classic rolling pin, the essential kitchen tool of every Italian nonna. Middle part is made from cylindrical cardboard to evoke the warmth and craft of home cooking. Each end […]
[syndicated profile] gothiccharmsch_feed
  • No slouching! Drink some water, take your meds.
  • Let’s all try to get some rest. I’ll try if you do.
  • I explained to Bitey Friend that kiddie pools are not a snack buffet.

❤️ Auntie Jilli

Jolene Coffee

Jun. 6th, 2025 06:00 pm
[syndicated profile] awesomer_feed

Posted by Vic Arkoff

Jolene Coffee

Red Hot Chili Peppers singer Anthony Kiedis and pal Shane Powers brewed up the idea for canned Jolene Coffee during 20 years of coffee meetups. Kiedis says the RTD startup was inspired by the idea that “everything happens over coffee,” but we’re certain his band’s infamous antics weren’t due to cold brews and oat milk lattes. Price is for a 4-pack.

[syndicated profile] awesomer_feed

Posted by Vic Arkoff

Vastlite Minima Bow Mini LEP Flashlight

Currently, the world’s smallest Laser Excited Phosphor (LEP) flashlight, the aluminum alloy Vastlite Minima Bow combines cutting-edge white laser lighting with an ultra-compact design. With a maximum beam distance of 750 meters and an impressive intensity of 140,650 candela, it delivers outstanding long-range visibility with a narrow and precise beam.

Expectation Vs. Reality

Jun. 6th, 2025 01:00 pm
[syndicated profile] cakewrecks_feed

Posted by Jen

Sometimes, you have a specific item you want replicated in cake.

You know, like a camcorder.

(Really?)

(Oh. Ok. Really.)

Well, no problem. They can do that!

That's one for the record books.

And with all the company picnics out there, you know bakers can freehand logos like nobody's business:

See? Just like nobody's business!

Or how about trying an entire building?

It's all in the airbrush.

Enough business, though. What do you say we loosen things up with something a little... sexy?

Mrow.

Uh...

Well, on the bright side, at least the baker was generous with the serving sizes!

Because anything less would have been a waist.


Thanks to, Emily C., Bridey, & Anony. And hey, you know what they say! "A moment with these hips on your lips, and your hips...I mean, your LIPS...no. Wait. Look. There's an old saying in Tennessee. Or was it Taiwan? Anyway. Fool me once, shame on..uh...look, you can't get fooled again, is what I'm saying. Sooo. Yeah.

[dramatic eyebrow lift]

Strategery.

*****

P.S. In case this post wasn't painful enough:

Exceptionally Bad Dad Jokes

There are a lot of "dad joke" books out there, but this one has awesome ratings AND the word "spiffing" on the cover, so it's a clear winner.

*****

And from my other blog, Epbot:

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound

Jun. 6th, 2025 01:00 pm
[syndicated profile] awesomer_feed

Posted by Paul Strauss

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound

The Game Kitchen, developers behind Blasphemous, meld the 2D, style of classic Ninja Gaiden games with the complexity of the game’s long-running 3D series. Expect ever-more-challenging and frenetic battles in this 16-bit-inspired side-scroller. Coming to PS4/PS5, Xbox, Switch, and PC via Steam on 7.31.2.25

Gustin Japan Red Fire Selvedge Jeans

Jun. 6th, 2025 12:00 pm
[syndicated profile] awesomer_feed

Posted by Paul Strauss

Gustin Japan Red Fire Selvedge Jeans

Gustin’s Japan Red Fire denim lives up to its name: a deep navy indigo warp pairs with a fiery red poly weft, creating a stunning red-tinged surface. This limited-run selvedge denim is sanforized raw denim from Japan, available in straight, slim, or skinny fits. Don’t miss out on this limited-run pant that starts shipping 8.2025.

[syndicated profile] juxtapoz_feed
Jess Ackerman: Love Notes from the Lurker
Chefas Projects is delighted to present Love Notes from the Lurker, a series of new works by gallery artist Jess Ackerman. Reflecting themes of observation, introspection, and reframing one’s perspective, Love Notes from the Lurker is like a gift from the shadows – a reminder of things being connected and taken care of, even if they go unseen.
[syndicated profile] juxtapoz_feed
Ryan Travis Christian: Time Is Hardcore
In Time is Hardcore, Ryan Travis Christian explores time as a universal experience and the perverse as a universal language. Working in the gray in both theme and medium. The simplicity of the black and white and the cartoon-like characters is just the tip of the iceberg. Underneath, you’ll find the scale of grays and a deeper, darker, compelling story. From his inner world, a cast of characters emerges: birds, cats, and personified clocks paint a picture of the broader human experience. Never straying from the taboo in subject matter, Christian’s works and titles are both confronting and filled with humor. Nostalgia and the contemporary converge with vintage animation style and surreal narratives.

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