Did not need to say that twice.

Time to start decorating the house!!!

Bargh, this cold is awful. I woke up coughing and happily found some Mucinex in my sister's cabinets. But I'm still in my pajamas and the dogs are not getting walked today. At least I have chicken soup on the stove and five more episodes of Stranger Things to watch.

Aw, Consuela. Chicken soup and Stranger Things sounds like an excellent treatment, at least.

I have yet to get going today. It would be very good to get some stuff accomplished if I can, but sitting on the couch reading has its merits.

Winona Ryder is my barrier to entry with Stranger Things. I watched the first ep. and part of the second, and when her character came on in the 2nd episode, something in me went, Nope!

I am also having that issue with Cherry Jones character in Transparent.

She is kind of OTT, it is true, but OTOH I can see how you would get there, given the circumstances. And I'm just grateful to have any adult women being full characters on the show.

There's an essay by Barbara Kingsolver on the Guardian today, and one of the things she talks about is how as a society we don't look at elderly women as leaders or heroes. [link] And she's right. As I get older, I become more & more aware of how rare it is to see women over 50 in pop culture, especially women doing anything useful and not being there just as comic relief. Or as mothers being sensible but ultimately useless.

As I get older, I become more & more aware of how rare it is to see women over 50 in pop culture, especially women doing anything useful and not being there just as comic relief.

This is something they definitely corrected on Legend of Korra. Never saw so many middle aged women badasses.

This is something they definitely corrected on Legend of Korra.

Yeah, I loved that the Bei Fong women generally kicked ass all over on that show.

I've been trying to find a stylist for a while. My hair had grown out to mid-back, with occasional trimming of the ends. Simpler that way, cheaper and easier to maintain. But a change in thyroid meds meant I've been shedding like a cat at the vet and I was tired of finding snarls of long hair everywhere, of having to put it up, and anchor the weight carefully to avoid triggering migraine. So, the search for a stylist. And pictures online of cuts I could live with. Social anxiety kept me hesitating at A. meeting and putting myself in the hands of a stranger, and B. trying to explain what I wanted, even with the help of pictures.

Stripped, and putting hair up so I could hop in the shower Monday, I looked in the mirror and went 'fuckit,' pulled the hair shears out of the drawer and whacked a foot off the length, then grabbed handfuls at a time, cutting off the ends beyond my fingers' grasp. H finished up the back neckline.

It feels like a deep breath, a shedding of old depression and the tension of being coiled and waiting for bad news. The news has landed, is as bad as anticipated, but there are things to do, now. So, new hair.

H and I spent a lovely day of amazing food and wonderful conversation with neighbors and friends yesterday. It's been bucketing rain for days, but today dawned sunny. More rain is coming, so we're taking the day to drive around in the sun, assiduously avoiding all commercial centers and as much traffic as possible.

And then, we buckle down and find out where we can be the most effective, and get to work.

Timelies all!

Had a PT session at 8 this morning. Am now at Chessiecon, so I can relax.(other than chasing after Mr. S)

A long time mentor and friend of mine is starting a website to prevent the normalization of the Trump presidency and upcoming administration decisions/policies. He is looking for content contributors.

Volans, would it be okay to share the link? I belong to a FB group that has a few journalists and essayists among its members, and there may be people there who could contribute.