My brother got me Netflix for Christmas, so I've only just started watching Orange is the new Black.

I almost made beet pesto this past week. Got all the way to the blender part. But my parents oldest child wanted to help, and he ended up passing out for no discernible reason. I could have finished it, but then figured someone or other would get mad at me and so I didn't. I'll try again later, with no drunken boys to distract.

Gah, I succumbed to the lure of not getting dressed for too long and now it's too close to sunset (and I am too tired) to really go do anything. Tactical failure for the day. Oh well, at least I have snacks made for, I don't even know, some time into the future, and a couple of breakfasts, so not a total waste.

I came home from work and ate 2 cupcakes that I had bought for myself for my birthday, one was cheesecake and the other was death by chocolate which I washed down with a hard cider and then...I fell asleep on the couch around 7:00 and woke up after 12:30. Missed the whole NYE thing.

Today I went to my sister's annual New Year's Day brunch and came home with a cough. I think my great nephews blessed me with it.

3D printers are quite fabulous: [link] [link] -- I didn't know you could 3D print titanium.

How do you size a binder? Is the chest measurement around the nipples? What will it be doing at my waist? [link]

Christmas vacations home are always...exercising. This holiday, as usual, we went to the North Coast with extended family members, including a cousin I don't remember having met. She's a devout Catholic, for whom everything bears mention of St. Peter (even Peter the Great). You know how they say not to discuss religion or politics? My god, the rest of the family, even the devout Baptist aunt tore her apart. Anti-choice, Islamo- and homophobe is not a good position to try and hold at the dinner table.

She took it all pretty well, considering, since she got backed down into "I make my choices, I don't judge yours" (lying, because she did a lot of judging, but she quieted down.

Other exercise included words. My mother and sister do the cryptic crossword every day, and my father does the standard. So I picked up a few day's worth of quick crosswords and jumbles, and frankly, I'm pretty embarrassed in comparison. I need to practice before I go home again. But at least I can do them, pretty much, in ink, since I know when I don't know.

Chikungunya is a disease that seems to have hit >50% of Jamaicans, and is transmitted by mosquitoes. I am so paranoid that I got it, since it seems to be impossible to not get bitten. I mean, I got bit on my hand two inches from my citronella bracelet.

So if I fall off the map in 2 or so weeks, that's why. It's apparently debilitating and miserable.

That sounds awful, ita! I'd be paranoid too!

How do you size a binder? Is the chest measurement around the nipples? What will it be doing at my waist?

Probably nothing at your waist unless you've got a beer belly. I'd say chest measurement around where the nipples would be, but with everything squashed down as much as you can. Since most people are wearing binders to try to smush the boobies out of sight. So some of it depends on where/how you're going to smush them (to the sides, down, whatever, depending on size/shape/perkiness).

You're saying that St Peter likes carrots?

May the mosquitoes find you unappealing, ita. Apparently this Chikungunya is all over the Caribbean, and is now in Florida too. It sounds like a bunch of no fun.

It's apparently debilitating and miserable.

Oy, that sounds awful, ita. I hope you don't get it.

I had a nice hike, and then went to late lunch with my friend, and I was very good and didn't have a beer (January is dry for me), and had instead a really tasty house-made ginger ale and lamb hash with poached eggs. And then when I got home I totally crashed. I think I could have slept for two hours if I hadn't set an alarm.

That lunch downs wonderful, 'Suela. As does quester's cupcakes and cider

Chikungaya does not and I hope you escape it, ita.

Have tried some of my jerky and it's pretty good. Needs a bit more drying time, but the taste is not bad at all.