Of Moose And Men
The Best Laid Plans Of Both Often Go Astray

Finally tackled a long-desired task, cleaning out the pantry. Did toss a bunch of overly old things, though nothing from before our move in 2020 this time (we were so ready to get out of the old apartment that we just tossed it all in boxes and dragged it with us, regardless of age). And now we have a better mental map of what’s there and what’s gone, plus we can see everything again. Plus it motivated the husband to use up the bananas on the counter; he’s making banana chocolate chip muffins as I type this. I know what breakfast is going to be the rest of this week.

Men’s knitting group this afternoon. Definitely feeling the need for some social time with knitters today, with all the shutdown stuff leaving me bored out of my mind. The knitting store we’re going to today has been offering free classes to furloughed feds, which is very generous of them. Not that this is the DC area’s first shutdown rodeo, but this one feels very different from previous ones, and not just because I’m directly affected this time (in previous ones my agency had funds so I worked fairly normally).

Done with my Continuing Legal Education credits for the year, as of yesterday. There are more offerings, so I may go ahead and bank credit for next year since I’m not doing anything else. The Virginia bar makes you do twelve hours yearly, but allows you to roll up to a year’s worth of credits from one to the next, so this would save me for next year.

I do enjoy a good freebie, so I wandered over to the local Starbucks this morning after doing some necessary shopping at the pharmacy next door. Ordered one of their seasonal specialty drinks because I had a coupon for a free one today. It was good, but it wasn’t coffee; it was dessert. I should have prefaced this by saying that I normally drink my coffee black, no matter the form (hot, cold brew, etc.). So the addition of flavoring, sugar, and oat creamer was so incredibly sweet. I don’t see how people drink those regularly.

After playing it low key this morning, I dragged the husband out to lunch, then indulged him by taking him to a comic shop to dig through back issues. He found several, so he had a good time.

Worked some on the shawl, and started a crochet scarf with some yarn a co-worker got me right after I had the surgery. Shawl was fine. Starting the scarf was wobbly, but okay once I got into a groove. I suspect that’ll last until it changes up the stitches in about three more rows.

Made breakfast (egg bake) for the week. Prepped some chicken breasts for the freezer (pounded to an even depth, salted for a bit, then wiped down for freezing) because they had a good sale. Sautéed some squash for dinner & leftovers. Not bad. Also remembered that if one is getting tired of banana bread that topping it with vanilla ice cream is a good way to switch it up.

Men’s knitting group was good. I’m at the point in this shawl where it took me almost two hours to do four rows. I don’t even know how many stitches across it is, but I have another 50+ rows to go, adding 2-8 stitches per row. It’s gonna be pretty, but man this is getting long.

Back to work after a week off. Hopefully my work laptop won’t demand the damned bitlocker key again, which seems to be happening more often these days (it’s happened now four times).

Today was the annual “Free Comic Book Day” at local comic shops across the US. We popped in about an hour and a half after our local place opened to let the crazies clear out. Was busy, but not claustrophobically so. Then we popped next door for some groceries.

The husband had a friend over and they made a lemon pound cake, which we sent home with said friend. Smelled good, but as it was loaded with butter I forwent the experience. That’s okay, he made banana bread yesterday, so I wasn’t hurting for baked goods.

Slowly making my way back through the DLC for Horizon Forbidden West on the PS5. I had gotten up to the end, but never finished it, so I’m working through it now, including collecting some things I didn’t bother with last time around. Is a fun game, and I do hope they make a third one.

Good drive up, fairly uneventful, about 9 hours with lunch & pee breaks. Buying snacks ahead of time was definitely the right decision.

The immediate family is good. Wake is tomorrow evening, Mass is on Wednesday. Excellent dinner at a new-to-us Italian restaurant near the sister-in-law’s house, that had gluten-free gnocchi. Very tasty.

The hotel is an absolute dive. An extended stay place where they acted insulted that we asked for another pillow. Definitely not staying here again.

The husband and I have to head to the Boston area next week for a family funeral. Which also, unfortunately, means some suit shopping tomorrow because I don’t have one that fits at the moment. I am once again extremely grateful that the primary practice area for my small agency staffed up well before this administration and that none of them have left, so we have plenty of coverage while I’m out.

The cortisone seems to be more fully kicking in; walking is a bit more normal. But I still want them to go in and see what else can be done.

Easy dinner of eggs & rice tonight for me, mac & cheese for him. We watched The Gorge on AppleTV+, which started out really well, then quickly jumped the shark on the way over the putative gorge. We had fun complaining about how off the rails it went, so it wasn’t a complete loss.

Long day reviewing existing things at work so the new group to cancel them. Whee. Kept having to impress upon career people that this was a vibe check, that we’re going to get sued, and so be it, we just needed to get through it and be done with it.

The husband continues to bake, this time a small olive oil cake. Very tasty.

Regular doc checkup tomorrow, and an appointment with the postal service to pay for and turn in my passport renewal. It’s well over due, so I have to go in person, and this way they can do the photo, too. Getting the little card as well as the book, first as a just-in-case it’s useful, and then as an added, more easily carried proof of citizenship. Because yes, I’m that paranoid.

Slept for shit last night, between eating too much Chinese food and the knee still setting down. So today was lots of video game grinding, then I watched a couple movies while finishing a dish cloth I was working on to try out some color work before I tackle a blanket in a similar pattern. But first I need to finish a shawl I’ve been working on.

Was sorely tempted to take advantage of Brooklyn Tweed’s going out of the yarn business sale, but I don’t need to spend the money right now, and I definitely don’t need any more yarn guilt.

Stomach’s calmer, so here’s hoping sleep will be easier. The husband is out of town with his sister to commemorate their Mom’s passing during the beginning of the COVID pandemic, which leaves me plenty of knitting time.

Cortisone shot in the knee, which I babied the rest of the day (lots of video gaming, sprawled out on the couch). Back in four weeks to see how it’s doing, and see if we need a referral to another physician in the practice to do a camera scope inside.

Ordered Chinese in, ate way too much for someone who’s sedentary. Oh well.

A big policy document finally shook loose at work, so now we can turn to doing and back away from all the hand wringing. I am so, so very grateful that I recruited one capable, personable attorney from my old agency to work on my portfolio, and he in turn recruited another capable, personable attorney from our old agency for the same. Having backup that I enjoy talking to has been such a blessing, especially on days like today where I needed to be away and resting.