flourhands

Yeah that's fair. I usually try and park myself in a busy (but not too busy) part, like at the bar itself. That way I can sometimes chat with folks as they rotate in and out, and then go back to my book.

But that's not for everyone for sure!

I hope you find something nice to do.

I know that feeling, but I still find it helpful sometimes. I try to go to places where I can be around people but not feel pressure to interact. I'll read a book at a busy-ish bar or go to a open mic.

Its still nice being around folks even if I'm not talking much.

Gosh I saw her in Portland and it was amazing. The show is so good!

Or if you don't want to play an instrument you played, try a new one!

It's been surprising how much my decades-old tromboning has helped me learn other instruments years later. The basics still help, like reading music, rhythm, and learning by ear.

Nothing fancy. Mostly simple polkas and reels so far. Basic stuff. Britches full of stitches, tell me ma, rolling in the rye grass, etc.

Starting to learn some basic ornamentation but I can tell that's gonna take me a bit.

It's amazing how quickly you can learn a recognizable song though!

I literally picked up the tin whistle this month because of this reason.

Trying to do 90 minutes of practice a week. I figure that's 90 less minutes I'm doomscrolling. It's not an answer but it's something.

Also, making music, even bad music, can be so fulfilling.

Shamrock run is such a fun event! I haven't done it since 2019 and I miss it.

It's chaotic in a fun way, with so many people.

We got a nice bed for our cat. She wouldn't touch it until we lined it with garbage (packing paper).

Irish whistle!

Just starting out but it's been super fun learning some simple tunes. It's been a really nice break.

Yeah I do the same thing. I just decided to learn music as a way to hopefully pull me away from that cycle. It's sad and scary out there.

I loved Girlmode and I'd love to learn more about Phoebe in a sequel.

I loved the tone you took in the first book. But yeah. Oof. Things feel really rough right now.

Yeah I hear you. I'm feeling the same. I really enjoy hearing folks' stories, struggles, and joys, but at some point the feedback loop of sadness and anger just feels constant.

There's so much of it everywhere that I feel like I need to be more careful where I consume it.

Any other recommendations? I'm gonna be visiting later this month. Also I love rain.

Yeah I use the word a lot. Empathy is certainly a thing I feel, but it doesn't describe the joy I feel when I hear about my girlfriend having a wonderful date with another partner.

Just different feelings. I know some folks don't love the word, but I appreciate having a word to describe that.

It's so wild living here and seeing folks describe it who've never visited.

It's like looking in a scary fun house mirror.

I think burgerville is relatively left wing but they're pretty specific to the PNW.

It's so weird how often some folks think of trans people in general, despite never actually interacting with or seeing any of us in real life.

Just how much space we occupy in the minds of some folk who never actually encounter us.

One of my favorites is "She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat."

It's about two neighbors who start cooking together and become friends. The whole series is just about community, love, and women supporting each other.

It's so lovely.

It felt like a pretty mean spirited show.

It's so cool to get old and see how we change.

It's funny. When I was thinking of transitioning, one thing I did a lot was look at older couples and try to figure out who I'd rather be in 30-40 years. Just kept coming back as "I want to be her."

It's been such a good year for pop of all kinds!

I'm seeing Marina in two weeks and I'm so excited for it.

Really enjoying the album! I love the 80s vibes a lot!

It's kind of amazing how everyone decided all at once that it was OK to milk this franchise for money again.

That society had lurched far enough to the right that they could do tie-ins again.

Feels like it happened all at once, too. Shit's everywhere.

Pizza is a big one.

Sandwiches are another. Especially good ones. Good bread stales so quickly and I love sandwiches with a ton of perishable components that I'd rather not buy tiny amounts of.

Oh no! It's sad and funny that little habits like that are so impactful. Like magus used to burrow under the covers to sleep, and I'd always have to check for him when I laid down on the bed.

I checked for him after he died, and promptly started crying because I didn't need to do that anymore. 💜

It's so hard when they go. It's such a weirdly huge adjustment. All the little things.

Dang are people actually just searching the term "male loneliness" to get mad at posts?

I love a messy bar.

When I was in college eating tater tots, I'd always unscrew the top of the pepper shaker and dump a little pile into the plate.

Then I'd dip the tot in ketchup and coat it in pepper.

People always looked at me weird but it was so good.

- Canned: The Rise and Fall of consumer confidence in the American food industry. It starts from canning in the 1800s and takes you to today. It's fascinating.

- Silent Spring: a classic, but it's interesting to read now to see how far we've come and how bad it was. And what we could go back to.