I find myself very much missing watching movies on VHS recently. I miss the previews at the start of the video, as well as the surprise bonus features at the end of the credits. In particular, Shrek was one of those awesome VHSs, what with the really cool character karaoke after the credits. That was awesome. And movies just don’t have any of that from the streaming services nowadays. And that is kind of really sad to me. 
Post-a-day 2023
Well, today was an adventure. Not only did the chickens not like and squawk at and run away from the lawnmower this evening, but one of them got chased big time by the dog this afternoon. The dog snuck around the edge of the temporary fencing, and went after the single chicken that was walking around in its own while I watched over the little one they all keep picking on (I was making sure it could eat some of the feed, which the others tend to block it from having.).
Fortunately, the dog stopped the moment I hollered at her, as though she’d been smacked with a broomstick, and I knew the struggle had ended – she submitted fully to me, and it was easy to grab her collar and hand her off to my man, who had come storming outside at my shout. 😛
You’ll have to forgive the camera positioning, as I can’t change that after the fact. However, the expletives and shouting that followed were removed quite easily from the video. 😛 However, by removing those, I also removed the footage that showed the chicken very easily walking around afterward, totally alive and physically well, if somewhat emotionally traumatized.
Post-a-day 2023
My man and I just unintentionally got into a Duolingo battle to win the family scoreboard for the week, simply by coincidence. We both happened to do a lesson, and also happened to see how the score had changed for the other.
In the last seconds of the timer, he passed me up and got first place. I had a 30-point lead on him, but he eeked it out, nonetheless, by completing half a legendary round with bonus right before the time ran out for the day. So, even though he hadn’t finished the lesson, he’d gotten halfway through it, and it gave him the first 40 points for today and the next 40 points for tomorrow’s scoreboard. Ridiculous.
It was a fun little event.
I love this man.
Even though we have really been passing each other off lately, I remember that I love him despite it all, and even because of most of it.
Thank you, God, for our idiocy and nerdiness. Thank you for, even after all this time, giving me someone who can enjoy this adventure so well with me. Thank you for all of it. Also, please, heal all my mosquito bites, please. In your name, I pray. Amen.
Post-a-day 2023
Well, there was a free performance by Houston Grand Opera tonight. The main parts were all played by HGO Studio members, which was quite cool. The whole thing was at an outdoor theatre in the middle of a park by the zoo. Shows and performances there are usually really great, and the opera was no exception. Though I had already seen this opera multiple times, La Traviata, and I had seen this exact production – though with more names, since this one used only the local studio folks who are working on improving themselves for their professional careers – it was still quite impressive.
Firstly, the performers were good. Bigger, though, was the fact that HGO actually brought 18-wheeler truckloads of sets and costumes just for these two performances (last night and tonight). They put a graded stage on top of the stage, then put their set on top of it. I’m not entirely sure they didn’t bring their own supertitles screen that hung up above the stage. And they also had two monitors on the sides of the stage, though out front, so I could see them clearly, but only could just see that they were video of the conductor, as opera usually has for the performers on stage. And, lastly, we got to sit right up front, only a few rows away from the stage. We could see each person and each costume and each bull skeleton clearly. It was great.
Even though we had two life flight helicopters fly over and some ghetto-sounding fancy boom box party that was taking place nearby in the park, it was still enjoyable. Oh! We also had a small incident of sorts…(?)
There is an area of theatre seating in front of the stage there and lots of people sit there (we were there tonight), and then there is the sound booth in a concrete little building at the back of the seating, and then there is a massive hill upon which loads more people sit for performances, picnic style or in lawn chairs on one half or the other.
Now, just at the end of the first intermission, two guys were standing atop the sound booth, one shouting out to the hill. It was quite weird, and we couldn’t understand what the guy was shouting, but it seemed very soapbox-like. Everyone had quieted down for the show to start, and the guy was still shouting. No one white knew what to do about it, and everyone was just starting to wonder what could be appropriately done. All of a sudden, a deep and powerful male voice yells from Hill Left, “Boy! Sit yo’ ass down!”
And just about everyone clapped and cheered. The guy then did shut up and sit down, and I chuckled massively to myself at the whole scenario. Ridiculous. Just ridiculous. 😛 And I was also quite glad that it was handled without any violence or police. I had started to wonder if one or both would be imminent. But the kind man had both the courage and the ability to shout the men down and to let the show go on. 😛
Anyway, it and the boom box were both silly, but the show was still great. So, yay!
Thank you, God, for this lovely blessing. Please, bring my man home safely and healed even more from his poker night tonight. Heal us both wholly. Thank you for this life and these beautiful opportunities. Help us to seize them and pursue them fully, fulfilling your will as we become and be our best selves. In your name, I pray in gratitude. Amen.
P.S. I sent this to my man to show him how they, too, we’re playing poker! 😛 He laughed at it. And me. Haha
Post-a-day 2023
Well, despite everything else, we got the chickens today. So, now we have chickens. Haha. 😛
So far, I like them. 🙂
Post-a-day 2023
A hard lesson I have now learned? Make sure the person in charge of the budget is fully comfortable in saying, “No,” when the answer needs to be, ‘No,’ no matter how good something sounds.
God, guide us, please. In your name, we pray. Amen.
Post-a-day 2023
Sometimes, things don’t feel like they’re getting close. It doesn’t feel right now like I am getting closer and closer to completing my course. It not only feels like I’ll be cutting it close to my self-given deadline. It feels more like cutting… it almost hurts like actual cuts, not having more done already, not progressing faster… failing so much… it just hurts…
Post-a-day 2023
I slept in until noon today, actually sleeping for a change. Granted, we went to bed around two something, so I actually only got just over nine hours of sleep. However, it was real sleep this time, only interrupted briefly by a need to use the bathroom a couple times. I fell right back asleep after each, which is huge. I knew I was tired, but didn’t know if this sinus infection would let me sleep. I am grateful that it has lessened enough to let me sleep. I pray for good sleep tonight, too.
Thank you, God, for sleep last night. Please, grant me good and healing sleep tonight. Heal me, please. In your name, I pray. Amen.
Post-a-day 2023
Well, we drove three+ hours each way today instead of flying half as much to go visit my grandmother for Mother’s Day weekend. The weather was just too spotty and unreliable, so we drove. The up side is that we got to bring the dog with us. The down side is that my man didn’t get the extra three hours of cross-country flight time he would have gotten if we’d flown. But it was also cheaper driving…
Nonetheless, plans changed, but it still worked out well. We got to stop at Costco for flowers and a hot dog and slice of pizza. Always a good thing on our list. And then we had a great lunch out with my mom and grandma (and the dog), a good time just the two of us with the dog waking around town a bit, and then a good time relaxing st my grandma’s before we all headed back out to go home. All in all, it was a very good day, and I am grateful for it.
Thank you, God, for the family and the love and the safety of today. Please, keep us always safe, that we pursue and fulfill your will by being our best selves. In your name, I pray. Amen.
Post-a-day 2023
I felt like I was truly in “Christmas Vacation” yesterday, when I poured myself a bowl of Cap’n Crunch cereal. You see, this bag of cereal has been open for months, truly. And it has been not just open but not even clipped shut the past month and a half, at least. Basically, there was no way I was expecting anything other than stale, slightly squishy and likely no-crunch cereal when I went to bite into this cereal. No way. This is Houston, Texas. We don’t have non-stale cereal that has been opened more than a couple weeks at most, and that’s with a good, tight roll and bag clip.
No, there was just about zero chance this cereal would be anything more than slightly-satisfying stale stuff.
And yet, as I bit down on the first two pieces, just to have a sample before eating it with (almond) milk, I was shocked with a genuine, solid, and real CRUNCH!
My immediate thought was, It’s that non-nutritive cereal varnish! No joke.
Not sure of what that means? Well, do read:
“Oh, the Crunch enhancer? Yeah, it’s a non-nutritive cereal varnish. It’s semi-permiable. It’s not osmotic. What it does is it coats and seals the flake, prevents the milk from penetrating it.”
Still lost as to where I’ve gained this bizarrely unique information about cereal? Allow me:
Clark: I went ahead and I put a 7500-dollar deposit down on it.
Bill: You're the last true family man.
Mr. Shirley, approaching: Mark!
Clark, sipping: Mmh. Clark.
[silence]
Clark: That's Bill, sir.
[silence]
Mr. Shirley: Are you the one who was working on that non-nutritive cereal varnish?
Clark: Yes, sir.
Mr. Shirley: I’ve gotta give a speech to a trade group. I'd like to mention it. Write up a brief summary and have it to me by the end of the day.
Clark: My pleasure.
Mr. Shirley: Layman's terms! None of that inside bullshit jargon that nobody understands.
Clark: Yes, sir.
[Shirley starts to leave]
Clark: Oh, Mr. Shirley… Ah, we got your Christmas card the other day, and my family and I are very flattered that you remembered us.
[silence]
Associate: Corporate cards.
[silence]
Mr. Shirley: Don't forget that report, Bill.
Clark: Yes, sir. Thank you. Merry Christmas…
Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas. Merry Christma— Kiss my ass. Kiss his ass. Kiss your ass.
Happy Hanukkah.
My own personal serving of cereal with an almost-definite non-nutritive cereal varnish that worked wonders! 😛
Happy almost Christmas in July! ‘Tis the season, ne?! 😛
Post-a-day 2023
hannah ananas 