Good to see you Hil. Condolences.

I played trivia tonight with friends! At a bar! I’m still not sure I’m comfortable with it even though I already did it. But I am SHAMED because we came in 4th out of 5 teams!! However we lost the most points on a round about “explorers” and I do not feel bad forgetting dead white men like that.

Wishing you the best, askye. It sounds like a move you need to make.

I just learned a friend lost her husband (who was only in his 50s) to Covid/pneumonia last night. He was fully vaccinated and boosted. She is in her 40s, another in the widow-far-too-young crowd. Their daughter is in 9th grade. I'm just devastated for them both and filled with rage that this happened and wishing there was anything I could do.

Pix, that is awful. I'm so sorry.

{{{Hil}}} You have been in my thoughts.

{{{Teppy}}}

{{{askye}}} Your living situation sounds so stressful. I’m sorry. Good luck finding another place.

Nora, continued job~ma and interview~ma!

My meatless tomato sauce if anyone is interested: 1. Put onions, celery, and carrots in food processor and pulse until they’re in small bits. 2. Cook the veg in olive oil on medium heat for several minutes. 3. Add chopped garlic and a pinch of red pepper flake and cook an additional minute. 3. Add one can of tomato paste and cook for several minutes. 5. Add ½ cup of wine and deglaze the pan. 6. Cook down the wine for two minutes. 7. Add 2 to 3 28 oz cans of tomatoes, a parmigiano rind if you have it, and whatever herbs you like (I usually use flat leaf parsley). 8. Simmer on a low heat until you’re ready for dinner. Oh, and salt and pepper at every step.

This should make enough sauce for a lb of pasta with extra sauce to freeze for another night.

I mean... sometimes you want puttanesca.

I was going to say this, Trudy. I also sometimes put olives or capers in my spaghetti with tuna sauce, but not when I make it for ltc because she hates both.

Our week has mainly been about juggling cars. Mom got a new car. So, I’m taking her old car and TCG is taking my old car because his was falling apart. But we had to get Mom’s car to a mechanic an hour away in order to have hand controls put on. So we’ll only have one car until probably Monday, and have to figure out how to pick it up while also having someone get ltc from school. But in the end we’ll have two reliable cars, both of which I can drive if necessary. So, it will be totally worth it.

Oh Pix, that is so heartbreaking.

Much ~ma for finding a new place to live quickly, askye.

Your sauce sounds very yum, sj. Now I'm hungry!

As I expected my son passed off my mobile service to some other tech although it is his territory. No doubt he will claim it is corporate policy to not service family members. Oh well. But my car is fixed. I'm hoping to be released next week to be able to actually drive around and do stuff. DH still debating what to do about replacing his truck once he has to relinquish control of my car back to me.

We have a local empanada place that has some flavor combinations I wasn't familiar with. I was a little unsure about the ones that contained meat, olives and raisins, but it was surprisingly good.

Oh, Pix, that's heartbreaking.

We have a local empanada place that has some flavor combinations I wasn't familiar with. I was a little unsure about the ones that contained meat, olives and raisins, but it was surprisingly good.

That's a common combo (and my favorite!) in Argentina.

Are you feeling mostly healed up, Laura?

I have a Fancy Brunch planned today with my friend, Jes, who I haven't seen since before xmas, and I'm quite looking forward to it.

Technically the mask mandate in SF (and California) ended on February 1, but nobody's unmasking here. Maybe when the surge has completely fallen off. Maybe not.

Fancy brunch always a good plan!

Are you feeling mostly healed up, Laura?

Eh, not healing nearly as quickly as I would like, but have my 6-week follow-up next week and hope to be cleared to swim again. Mostly I am a big baby about this stuff. I did get blood work done yesterday and cholesterol is still superb and protein went up (still low) but paying attention closer to diet working. Still doing the slow but steady decline. Lost over 60 lbs and in size 12! DH down like 90 lbs. He is hitting a plateau but sticking to it.

Still doing the slow but steady decline. Lost over 60 lbs and in size 12! DH down like 90 lbs. He is hitting a plateau but sticking to it.

Right the fuck on! Both of you are doing so well. After hitting my goal weight and keeping it there until last year, I started to creep back up during last Winter's lockdown. But I've been diligent since the new year and have gotten back to that phase of slow steady decline. It's very motivating when you can see it on the scale.

Just sent an email to my friend Molly whose father died suddenly. Hil's mom, Knut's Dad. All the shit Teppy's dealing with.

Lot of grief going around.

Grief on top of grief on top of all the other emotional exhaustion. I want to hug all my loved ones, and can't even do that!