I started the day, as is the new normal, by taking the dogs for their morning consti-poop-tional! I take them out, one at a time, to prevent getting tangled up. On both walks, I saw a cute lil brown bunny (and the dogs didn't!) Each morning, I've seen a neighbour take their cat (or smol dog) out for a potty break, and we've exchanged hellos. This time, they were walking to their car and started telling Kit how pretty she was. Kit is normally very standoffish, but she was excited to see the neighbour. Her lil tail wagged something fierce, and she jumped up on her?! I was so surprised. Neighbour asked permission before petting Kit, but at that point it seemed it was probably fine. I appreciate being asked though!
Later in the morning, the internet fell over so I was rudely forced to do offline things. I have plenty of reading material, and crafty stuff, so that was totally fine. Dean had mentioned that there's a food truck that parks nearby on Tuesday afternoons, so I decided to take a stroll for myself, and get some fresh air too. I guess I was too early for the food truck, but I did see a truck for the ISP, so that was good! I had a lil wander about, enjoying the greenery and the retention ponds (so poetic!) My timing was perfect as, when I walked in the door, I heard the echo thing make chime sounds to announce it was online again!
Since everything was working, I got to dealing with some emails and stuffs, and decided it was time to do the stream thing! I started out with a couple of indie titles, but my brain was not in the mood for learning new things. Ended up switching to Vintage Story (SURPRISE!) after chatting about a few different mods. I enjoyed them so much, I think I might reset the Fourthwall VS server and get it going with these new ones. We'll have a chat about which mods in discord so, please share any input on what you'd like to be see on the server.
Alerts and things were a bit wonky, but apparently that was a twitch issue. I had tested all of the things through streamerbot before I went live, but none worked properly after I pushed the start button. I couldnt tell what was working/not working, so I just disabled all redemptions so people don't waste their channel points. Hopefully alerts will be better for Wednesday!
I wasnt sure what to do/play, and I was anxious that noone would come, but it worked out wonderfully. I'm so lucky to have such lovely people in the community!
This was the first full day of being a solo human in charge of caring for doggos, and myself. The dogs are great at their walks and any anxiety about it all is gone. They have accepted me as their temporary human!
I've been sleeping in the guest room, but decided to drag the spare mattress down from the 3rd floor, to the 2nd where all the living stuff is. This way, I could curl up and watch TV, and the doggos could be near. Waking up in the morning told me that it was a bad idea, so I dragged it back up the stairs. Someone didn't think about how awkward it would be going UP a staircase, with a bend in it, while pulling a fullsize mattress... It is now put away though! 💪 My back and hips are super mad at me, but they can shuddup.
I decided it was time to get my stream shit sorted out, so that was a good chunk of the morning taken. I had everything working from a USB stick, but Dean pointed out that it might be a bit of a bottleneck, so I copied it all onto the PC. It took a while to login to twitch a million times for my custom docks (only four...) and then resyncing all the stuff in Streamerbot. The bot is the thing that makes the stream sparkles, and does all the fancy shit like greeting Fourthwall Members on stream (subtle plug!) It looks like its all working!
I successfully fed myself lunch, then finally took some time to go watch friend Molly's stream! Its been so long since I've been able to pop in. I've had my phone, and a tablet, but the screens and chatting experience are rubbish that way. It's bizarre sitting at someone elses computer desk. Everything is in the wrong place, and feels... awkward with unfamiliarity. It's quite nice seeing the internets on a big screen again, though!
Doggos and I had an early dinner, and then I settled in to watch Queen Charlotte (the Bridgerton spin off.) I enjoyed the costumes and music immensely, and I loved the story telling. They tackled some great topics and it was nice to see a show/series crack that heteronormative BS in such an elegant way that it was a part of the story, rather than performative lips service.
Made up the bed in the guest room again and, because I couldn't go to bed with just one episode left, I got to sleep later than I would have liked. Dio had no qualms joining me, and Kit lurked outside the door for a bit before coming in. That dog snores like my Grandad did, loudly!
Stream on Tuesday?
Stuck around home today, which will be the norm for a while now. Kit and Dio have been very good doggos, and letting me know any time someone walks past, drives past, or sneezes/breathes heavily. They're very alert! 😅 They're a breeze to take for walks compared to Daisy, and much easier to pick up after too (being that they are smol doggos.)
I almost decided to stream, but it was my first evening with the dogs and I decided to have some downtime instead. I fired up Netflix and we all watched season 3 of Bridgerton. Dio very helpfully informed me every time there was an animal (there's quite a few horses in this show!) Jessi and I had grabbed some snacks earlier in the week, so I immediately went for the All Dressed Chips. They are as good as I remember them!
I took the day off from crafty stuff to give my hands a break. Apparently I pushed it too hard with the crochet, which I'm sure will surprise you all. The magnifying light for the cross stitch came in, so I can test that out at some point too. I might see if I can setup my spare phone as a mobile craft cam, but that will depend on how well it works here.
The dogs were being a bit clingy so I grabbed the spare mattress and setup camp in the main living area, so they could be comfy. I was very impressed with my skills in getting that down the stairs, especially since there's a bend in the staircase!
Monday I'll get my OBS setup, and have a nosey at Dean's steam library before I switch over to mine. He probably has some cool things to play that I don't. Our gaming interests are very different and it's nice trying sometimes new sometimes. Stream will look, and sound a bit different as I wont have the green screen and stuff. See you Monday afternoon, maybe? 😉
Date title, because I keep getting tangled up with the number of days now apparently.
I finished the brown stripey shawl! I'll have to wait until later to weave in the tails, as I forgot to bring a yarn needle with me, but there's only 2 ends to manage. It came out well, but I still don't know if I like it! I think its the mustard stripe that puts me off, but I'll wash it up and see how I feel then. Otherwise, I'll try to sell it maybe.
Dean made a loaf of cheesy bread, and then two loaves of white bread. I'm enjoying having fresh bread to munch on. The smell of the cheese bread was rough while waiting for it to cook, because it smelled so good. Worth the wait, though!
I started the next crochet pattern, and that was giving me some issues because I wasn't paying enough attention and kept making mistakes. While I was arguing with it, and grumbling in discord, I could hear doggo sounds. Looked up, and there's Dio and Kit giving me the stare down to remind me about dinner time! Many loaves today 🍞 I finally got the first proper row of the pattern done, but then the next one went wonky. Not sure if I want to keep trying the pattern, or go for something else.
We were up late last night watching some of the Olympics recaps, and got quite enthralled by the Handball. We were probably up too late, but its nice being able to relax and have a good natter with friends!
We ran a few errands today, so now the cupboards have food that I will, hypothetically, prepare for myself! Also... I got another skein of yarn for a new project. We went to the local Joann and they still had a sale on Lion Brand yarn, so I got a pretty mandala skein of soft, pastel, colours. The store had a massive floor to ceiling display of yarn in bright colours!
I found another pretty shawl/wrap pattern that's slightly more technical than the one I've almost finished. It's still pretty simple, enough so that I can watch/read while working on it, but it'll keep my hands busy. The brown shawl will probably be finished today, so it was good timing getting into the yarn store when we did.
Jessi wisely suggested we grab lunch before hitting the local Costco. We both grabbed rice bowls from a Korean place nearby, and I got to try kimchi for the first time. Lunch was delicious! The booths were cozy, and each had a vase of flowers which added a nice touch to the place.
Costco and Aldi were.. well, Costco and Aldi. We stocked up on snacks and stuff like frozen pizzas, and ingredients for easy tortillas. I know I'm terrible at feeding myself, so I wanted to get things that I know I'll actually eat. There's also a grocery store and dollar tree near by, as well as an Indian restaurant and a few other places to explore. Feel free to poke at me over the next week about food/hydration because I will absolutely forget!
Not sure what the plans for Saturday are, but they need to pack as they're leaving on Sunday. I'll try to keep out of the way, and offer sassy support from the corner of the couch that I have claimed as my spot while I'm here 😁
Maybe I should be using dates, rather than day numbers for these? Hmm...
Decided to work on the cross stitch for a short while yesterday, but had to put it aside after arguing with it for a couple of hours. Turns out, it's too bloody small for me to see properly. Pretty sure I grumble about it every time I pick it up lol. I ordered a magnifying glass that clamps onto tables, and that should help until I get my butt to the optometrist for a new prescription. I can probably manage without, but it's better to just wait since it's due to arrive tomorrow.
I started using an app named Pattern Keeper to keep track of my cross stitch stuff. I had decided to adjust the colours the pattern was in, and I was a lil concerned at how they would work. This app will let you sub new ones in and it'll actually reflect in the chart and graph, too.
We went to North Market for dinner (the small one, for those in the know.) It's a big food hall with a wide variety of vendors to pick from. I had pork belly Banh mi, Dean had a selection of Somalian stuff, and Jessi went with a burger. It's a really nice atmosphere in there, and it was nice seeing the diversity. After a massive dinner, we headed to Jeni's for ice cream. The smell of the store, when you walk in, is amazing. The scent was so warm and cozy! Id had some of their ice cream before, from the store, but it's much better fresh!
In the evening, Jessi and I watched some more Hometown Cha-cha-cha and we finished up some stuff in preparation for her trip. I think I'm starting to recognise some spoken words in Korean now, maybe?
It's hard to believe I've been away so long, already. I've been away for 10 days now, and I miss Flint a lot. I'm enjoying the change in pace and scenery though! Monday I'll probably be back to streaming since Dean and Jessi leave on Sunday. I think I got most of my stream stuff saved onto a USB drive, but I guess we'll find out when I try to stream! I may have to disable some point things, but we'll see. I'm looking forward to catching up with everyone!
I think we're all pretty comfy with each other now, with just the occasional mindblown moment when I'm like "woah, these are real people, not pixel people!"
Jessi made a super yummy breakfast pancake bowl for breakfast, and it was fancy AF! It was healthy too, so that's a bonus. I'm getting so spoiled on this trip. After we did morning things, we headed to a massive place called Where ya Bin? The store buys pallets of Amazon returns and sells the contents at an increasingly lower price each day of the week. A lot of stuff is still in boxes, and it's not immediately clear what's in them so. You can use the Amazon app to scan the barcodes but it doesn't always work. We came away with a pillowcase worth of very-important, deffinitely-needed stuff, like a squeaky lobster toy and a cursed Christmas tshirt. The lobster has been named C-bus and brings us all joy! One box caught me eye when I saw the words "human" and "ashes" on the label in tin print. I decided I didn't need an urn for $1 but I may have had the opposite of buyers remorse when we got to the cash register. I thought an urn labelled granny would be a great way to keep people out of storage being used for special things!
We watched some more of a show on Netflix named Seaside Cha Cha Cha, which I'm enjoying. Getting more used to subtitles (it's a Korean show) and has some fun elements to production that I've not encountered before. We also watched an episode of Try Guys doing some cursed cooking shit making churros. It was both entertaining, and alarming!
I've been zooming along on my crocheted shawl, while watching stuff, so I may have to find a yarn store at some point. I've made sure to take frequent breaks though, so my hands are doing ok. My hips and back are unimpressed with the stairs here, but not in a bad way. They're just reminding me that they exist, and its manageable with a lil Aleve and stretching.
I think we're heading to a place called North Market on Thursday afternoon, if Dean and Jessi are able to get enough work done in the early day. Sounds like a place full of yummy treats, so it's right up my alley!
Saty, Sel, and I went out for a yummy brunch in the morning! I had eggs benedict, and guzzled large amounts of cold brew coffee. I packed my bags early in the day so we were able to load the car up, and get on the way, as soon as we had the nod from Jessi.
I really enjoyed my time with Saty & Sel (and Waffles & Spats!) We talked about so much stuff, and I got lots of warm hugs too.
Our drive to Columbus was pretty quick, especially compared to the massive drive last week. I bet Sel is looking forward to _not_ driving long distance for a while! Arriving at Dean & Jessi's was a trip and a half. I'd seen photos of some of the spaces, over the years, and I'm pretty familiar with half of Dean's office. Seeing it all directly was like walking onto a set 😆.
It'll take a day or so to find a balance I think. We've been friends for years via Twitch, but it's always different meeting in person. Dean has already fed me with homemade bread, and we had Korean fried chicken for dinner which was delicious! Jessi introduced me to a Kdrama (I can't remember the name) and we had a nice time just relaxing into each others company, with some laughter. Their doggos, Kit & Dio, were as expected. Kit has zero interest in people, and Dio wants to bork at everything.
The plan for Wednesday, I think, is to go out in the morning with Jessi for a bit. We have a few days to hang out before they leave for their trip, and then it'll be me and the pups for a week or so.
Saty had a long shift at work on Monday, so it was just Sel and I. After dropping some stuff off, we went and grabbed lunch to munch at the lake. It was very picturesque, with the waters being still except for the occasional bloop of fish on the surface. We watched a large flock of geese, of all ages, tootle across in front of us too, which was charming. All this was accented y two very loud seagulls who had very firm thoughts about us not sharing our sammiches!
The afternoon was relaxing and full of Waffle snuggles. I'm going to miss her warmth, and the weight of her head on my leg when I leave. Sel and I watched some baking shows, and I got dinner going in the slow cooker. The problem with watching Bake-off is that I inevitably crave cakes. Apparently Sel feels the same, and we informed Saty of this when she got home. After dinner and chatter, we ended up going to Kroger (krogers, with an S, if you're a local) to get snacks. The rest of the evening, we just nommed on treats and watched more baking. It was lovely!
Tuesday I'm off to Dean and Jessi's, and I'll be there for the remainder of my stay. My next post will have different doggos to share!
We joined Saty's family for lunch today. It was a lovely time, with lots of laughter!
After lunch we went for a walk through the town square, which was wonderful and just what was needed after a big meal. This town was built at a canal lock, and they still have parts of it extant in the park complete with a barge. The canal stuff reminded me of my time in London (UK) when I would walk along the tow path to explore the less tourist-y parts of town. There's a clock tower and a veterans memorial bridge too which seemed like a nice tribute to days gone by. We absolutely had to swing by the painted wings, so there's a rare shot of me in front of the camera. We got a cute shot of Saty, too!
In the evenings, I've been slowing working on the crocheted shawl as we watch Somebody Feed Phil. I've been taking plenty of breaks to stretch the hands which works out for a certain doggo named Waffles.
Not sure what we're up to for Monday. I spoke to Flint and he mentioned that there's a museum nearby that I might be interested in. I'm also happy just staying close to home and resting too.