It is midway into hellseason, and my activity levels have shrunk exponentially. While I spoon my AC for some semblance of sweet relief, permit me to regale you with the happenings of my adventures.
GENERAL SHENANIGANS
The summer is not treating my poor voidorb Hermes well either. His allergies have kicked up to a point where he is scratching himself bloody and shedding a pound of hair an hour. He has a vet appointment today to see what options we have for him, since the injections aren’t effective, and this little fucker turns exorcist if we try to put the pills in him. This cat is BIG and FLEXIBLE. Not even joking, we can’t put Frontline on him because he can TURN HIS FUCKING HEAD AROUND and lick the spot he’s not supposed to be able to reach.
I also had a hell of a time starting to write this post, because he sat in front of my keyboard and would not let me work until I scratched ever single surface of his face and ears.
And Eris is still being her finicky self, so she has to get poked and have an ultrasound to see what’s going on with her liver.
And despite all that, my meat mech still needs some training. Been in and out of physical therapy, counseling, and medication management. As well as squeezing in some gym time so that I can nut up and perform somewhat competently as I engage in my weekly consensual beatings. Which! By the way! I have a new training sword! One that actually fits me! I love it lots and was startled when I broke it in, finding that I had gained a foot of reach! JOYOUS!
I got it from arms & Armor. Their brand has a special place in my heart. I even visited their workshop back in March. Isn’t it glorious! http://arms-n-armor.com/train204.html
With all that crap still happening, I’ve still managed to get a few shiny things done. I just released July’s Patreon tutorial, which is this adorable pair of Bomb Pop earrings, because nothing says SUMMER like frozen sugar water.
Also had a commission which I did not manage to get a nice picture of before shipping it, which irritates me so. This is a necklace based on the joint rings I did on my channel a while back.
PLANT UPDATE
BEHOLD! MY BOX OF MOSS!!!
I was told that succulents like lving with moss, so I got this assortment of sheet moss and lichens off Etsy at this seller.
NOW MY GARDEN IS COMPLETE. MAYBE.
I put another wire trellis that threads along the ceiling of the house so that the ivy can have another place to crawl. But after it reaches the limits of that, I’m going to have to trim a bitch.
I was left with a metric fuckton of leftover sheet moss, so I sent it over to a friend and used it as ORGANIC PACKING MATERIALS!! CONSERVATION!
Anyhow, we’ll see how this turns out. I am kind of pessimistic at this rate, since mold LOVES water, but succulents do not, and I am thinking that making them cohabitate might not be a good idea. I am also not sure about the lighting requirements. The lichen doesn’t look all healthy despite having watering them. Not sure if they like a lot of sun or prefer shade.
The Kalanchoe also had a significant casualty count due to the mold infection and I ended up pruning quite a bit off it. It has bounced back significantly, but it is not up to 100% yet.
FOOOOOOOOD
Also on my channel are a few new Snack Time With Odin videos, both featuring parcels sent over from friends.
In one parcel was a new brand of Korean Ramen, and found it quite delightful. The biggest feature of this one being the dry noodle type and made with APPLE JUICE!!
Generally I find Korean ramen packs to be a lot sweeter, and I am more of a savory guy, but this was nice to experience. The burn was also slow and lingering. I accented my bowl with a couple boiled eggs and some of the tofu snack packets that were also sent my way. Then topped it off with some shredded seaweed. A+ lunch!
On the Odin Tries New Shit genre, I ate this awesome gelato from the frozen section of grocery. If you like cherry and you like cheesecake, I think you will like this. The cream is nicely cheesecakey flavored, the cherry jelly isn’t too tart, and the cheesecake chonks on the bottom are a nice delightful texture contrast. The only thing I was meh about was how thick each layer was, making it difficult to get everything in one bite. I’d also recommend to let it thaw to a more manageable texture before enjoying.
On the “Odin Has No Self-Respect” theme, I tried the KFC Cheetos Collaboration.
You can find out more info here: https://www.kfc.com/menu/promotions/cheetos-sandwich
It wasn’t bad, it wasn’t life changing either. It’s a chicken sandwich with cheetoes on it. And cheese sauce. And…mayo. Washed it down with strangely peachy concoction with a weird aftertaste of something astringent like mouthwash, and you have a meal for the ages….oh what a time to be alive…
But! On a totally different note: I ACTUALLY COOKED A THING!
A friend of mine offered me some rhubarb that was mysteriously growing in her backyard so I ended up with a selection of rhuty barbs. After a quick google search of “What the fuck do I do with Rhubarb?” I decided I had the materials for a rhubarb crumble:
I used this recipe, which assumed I had 6 cups. I did not. SO I halved it, and even though I did that, I ended up with wayyyyy more crumble than barb. So I added half a jar of raspberry jelly….because….reasons.
And ya know what? It was fucking delicious. My SO hates rhubarb, so I ended up eating the whole damned thing myself. No regrets.
Bookish Things
Believe it or not, I have actually managed to get a little headway into my own book. With my Content Editing contract on hold until more progress is made, I cleared the way for Chapter 7 of Mourning Ember. It is currently in garbage mode but near finish, and I am hoping to have it done before the end of this week.
In an optimistic timeline goal, I want to have up to chapter 10 done by the end of July, with the whole first draft done by the end of August. Then I can begin the gratuitous cycle of editing and tearing myself apart until I chape it into something I am not too ashamed to release to the public. We shall see.
To help me out, I have found a writing retreat that I will be participating in at the beginning of August, and hopefully it will be productive. There are also a few shows I will be vending at toward the fall, and some other fun features upcoming.
But for now, I must leave you, as I have a shitton of chores to do before I sit down with Chapter 7 and hammer it into submission.
Until Next Time!
-Odin
