Reading

I am currently sitting on twitch listening to the Convergence 27 Raid Train. It's been great for checking out new DJs and I now have a long list of bands and songs to look up later.

I'm sad about missing the people who are at physical Convergence this weekend and I really wish I could hang out with them in person, but... well you know.

Final Contractor came over last week so he could take some measurements. He's running behind on work orders (go figure) because most of his work is outside and his employees can't work a full day when the temperatures are over 30 C. Which makes perfect sense to me.

In the meantime, now that the painting is done I'm taking a break from big projects. I did zero house-cleaning while I was working on the yard and basement and the allergen level in the house is making me break out in hives on the regular. Doesn't help that I can't open the windows because the air quality is crap with all the wildfires. I'll spend August getting on top of that. And all the outstanding paperwork that's piling up on my desk around work permits and insurance claims. And catch up on appointments, if I can get that organized.

I haven't done great (yet) with scheduling exercise time, but I've putting aside time to write letters to politicians. I am so beyond pissed off at well, everything. I have no idea if it helps at all, but I figure it can't hurt and I have to do something with all this anger and frustration. And I'm too old to start a punk band.

HOUSE

Painting is taking longer than normal because the humidity is 5 billion percent. I put spackle on the wall that claimed to dry in 8 hours, tried to sand it 24 hours later and it was still soft. So I've been letting stuff dry for longer than normal between coats.

BUT. The new room in the basement is 100% done with patching & painting.

The old room - the one the contractors weren't supposed to do anything to - needed several coats of heavy primer because they wrote all their measurements all over the walls in marker for some reason. I'm doing the trim in there next weekend and then that room is done. The bathroom is also patched and I'm going to give it one more layer of primer.

Then we wait while the The Final ~~Boss~~Contractor does his work on the steps etc. There are some odds and ends to take care of still - like swapping out fixtures - but that will wait until the contractors are done in the basement.

CAT

ALL of the elderly furball's tests came back with flying colours and I have been told to reduce his steroids down to a fifth of his previous dosage. I found a duck-flavoured hypo-allergenic wet food he will tolerate, and he likes the hypo-allergenic treats. So that's going really well. He now has enough energy to follow me around the house and yell at me non-stop because just like with my human family, I am not doing what I am supposed to be doing.

A thing he has decided that I find absolutely hilarious; we are supposed to eat together. Like a family, dammit. I have been able to get away with eating at my desk because there isn't an easy way for him to sit next to me, but when I'm on the couch I have to set a plate out for him at the same time I have my supper. I think it's hilarious that this is a thing and he probably thinks I am very stupid that it took me this long to figure it out.

ME

Foot seems to be actually improving, in that it's still stiff as hell when I get up in the morning but it really doesn't hurt much any more unless I do something exceptionally stupid, like forget to take my cane on my mandatory in-office day.

Now that the work on the house is getting to the point where it's less urgent I am going to start setting aside time to exercise again because I am a bundle of raw nerve endings. I was dealing with that by doing a lot of walking, but obviously that plan fell right off a cliff. So I'm going to try and get back on the stationary bicycle more regularly and maybe that will stop me from chewing the ends of my fingers off.

One can hope.

your city lies in dust my friend

wanted no applause, just another course